Rock the Ballet
by EmilyStark
Summary: Rated M/AH. Elena is a ballerina in New York City, while Damon is a rock star in the band Serpenti. Boy meets girl and sparks fly. A one-night stand between the two leads to a career-ending result. How can she find the father of her child when he went on a national tour, leaving her unknowingly pregnant?
1. Introduction

**Rock the Ballet**

**Introduction**

* * *

All of the movements when performed correctly seem to flow together in time with the music. The movements are quite physically demanding, but very enjoyable. In ballet, the ballerina is the conductor, gracefully gliding across the floor, keeping in tempo time with the music.

The audience was hushed, holding their breaths until she made that fatal movement to begin the entire show. Her body was positioned into an á la seconde, foot placed to the side while her other foot was placed completely in the center. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, the tutu of the unitard flowing down to her mid-thigh, the midnight-black outfit glistening in the stage lights. With a sharp intake of breath, she lifted her foot into an attitude position, one leg in the air while her other foot was pressed onto her toes, arms spread out.

She gracefully leapt across the floor, landing onto one leg where she spun into a pirouette, a complete black bur, leaving the audience gasping. It was a beautiful sight to see Elena Gilbert, the top ballet dancer in New York City. She was graceful, beautiful, well-trained, and a hard-worker. Once she completed her pirouette, she began to twirl, bringing her right leg up to the back of her knee. She ended with a grand battement, throwing her leg as high as possible while keeping her other leg straight. It was the highlight of the night as countless roses were thrown onto the stage. Her chest heaved up and down as she smiled, doing a small bow, showing her appreciation towards the audience.

Elena glanced to the stage director behind the curtain, signaling for her to quickly get off of the stage. She nodded slightly before bowing once again and rushing off of the stage.

"You did great!" Bonnie enveloped her into a hug. Elena chuckled, raising her head just in time to see a blur of blonde hair rushing towards her.

"Elena, that was flawless!" Caroline joined in on the group hug, earning them a few stares. The next performer was announced, snapping Elena back into the real world.

She pulled back, "Any improvements?" Both girls shook their heads, smiles tugging at their lips.

Caroline grabbed Elena's hand, guiding her towards the exit, "This calls for a celebration, and I know just the place." Elena tried to pull back desperately.

"I'm still in my performance clothing." She sighed about to walk to her dressing room.

Bonnie immediately stepped forward, "Which is why I brought a dress. You can get changed in the car." Elena chuckled before letting Caroline drag her back towards the exit.

* * *

The music was a bit too loud for her taste, but the sweet melody hidden beneath was making her sway her hips. The dark blue cocktail dress hugged her curves, defining each twist and turn of her body.

_I can definitely get used to this. _

She brought the martini glass to her lips, finding only an olive on a toothpick. Sighing, she made her way towards the bar, "Dirty martini, please." She called out over the blaring music.

"So, you like them dirty?" A voice asked, dripping with sarcasm. She snapped her gaze towards the direction of the voice, finding a heart-throbbing image. Never before had she seen such an angel face; midnight-black hair, icy blue eyes, finely-curved lips, toned muscles, defined cheek bones. Ugh, he was drop-dead handsome.

"I-I guess." Elena choked out, gulping down the knot that was forming in her throat. He nodded, downing the glass of auburn liquid.

He turned to her again, "I gotta go. I'll be playing in a few minutes." She nodded, even if she didn't understand what he meant. With a slight chuckle, he slid off of the stool, disappearing into the heavily-dense crowd.

She sighed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, watching the spot that he had previously sat. Mere minutes had passed before a voice boomed out over the fading music, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have quite a treat for you. About to go on a national tour, here is Serpenti!" The entire room erupted into cheers, while Elena stayed still, staring at the same spot.

The sweet voice seemed to sing to her, filling the hole in her heart. She snapped her head up, seeing the angel eyes locked to her face. The breath hitched in her throat, watching the way his lips moved to the lyrics as if the words were carved into his head. There was an immediate connection; a connection that she knew would cause havoc.

The thought bounced around the sides of her head, finally bringing her the final conclusion. Gathering her purse, Elena rushed towards Caroline who was on the far end of the bar, clearly hammered. She was clutching the edge of the bar from falling off of the stool as she giggled like a school girl. Elena rolled her eyes, helping Caroline to her feet.

"Care, where's Bonnie?" She asked, surveying the room for the lost face.

Caroline straightened her back, "She left with some guy," She giggled, "She was sloshed."

Before Elena could gather any words to say, there was a tap on her shoulder. She winced, knowing who it was. Spinning around, her fears came true. "Hey." Damon purred. She smiled in reply, not knowing if she could speak at that point. He shrugged it off, "Want to get out of here? My band's finished playing."

She hesitated, about to say no, when Caroline cut in, "Go ahead. She needs to get laid anyways." Elena spun around, playfully hitting Caroline on the shoulder.

"Who will drive you home? You're clearly drunk." Elena asked, narrowing her eyes towards her friend. Caroline pointed towards the man who slung an arm around her shoulder. "He will." She shrugged her shoulders, "I swear, he's not drunk." Elena narrowed her eyes suspiciously before turning back to Damon who had an amused smirk on his lips.

"Shall we?" He gestured for her to go first. She smiled sweetly before walking out the exit, looking one last time over her shoulder towards Caroline.

"I'm sure that she'll be fine. She's with one of my bandmates." He shrugged it off, leading her towards a car. She was about to reply when the breath was involuntarily taken away once again. His car barely classified in the category; it was a beautiful model of the Lamborghini Miura in blushing red.

"Wow." It was the only word she could get out before slipping into the passenger's seat. It seemed the alcohol had fogged both of their minds, blocking out any judgment.

* * *

When the morning arose, the sheets were strewn across the hotel floor, along with the discarded clothing. The guitar in the corner rested upon the wall screamed that a rock star was occupying the room. Most of the black pillows were thrown carelessly into lamps which then collided with the floor. A hell of a night, some may call it.

The first to awake was Elena, stretching her arms high into the air before snuggling her face into the warm pillow. Too warm of a pillow. She snapped her eyes open, chest heaving up and down as realization came crashing down upon her.

"Oh. My. God." She whispered as she gently lifted her head to figure out her surroundings. Her eyes locked with the amused ones before her, smirking like the devil.

"So…" He said, sitting up. She slowly backed away from him, eyes wide.

"We didn't…?" She trailed off, letting him figure it out.

He gestured towards both of their naked bodies, "Quite obviously we did."

* * *

**I really wanted to try an all-human story, so I went with this storyline. I have a few other storylines that I am willing to try if you guys want all-human stories. In this one, she does get pregnant from the one-night stand.**

**Leave a review if you like this storyline!**


	2. The Night Before

**Take Note: I decided for the flashback to have ****smut****. Don't like, don't read. This will be the first time that I actually go into further details for a smut scene, so bear with me! **

**I also added some lyrics to this chapter; it's cheesy, I know. The song is The Night Before by Lee Hazlewood. **

* * *

All he knew was the stinging throbs in his temples were keeping his sight from being clear, nothing but blurs. The weight on the bed shifted as Elena slid off of the mattress, biting back the sobs. She could see empty alcohol bottles scattered across the floor, more reminders of the night before.

Damon slowly slipped into a sleep once more, remembering that night so vividly…

* * *

_I saw her dancing at the party_

_So young with laughter in her face_

The club looked absolutely rundown, an abandoned building attempted to be fixed up. Most of the windows were shattered, the front doors were hanging on by a bare bolt, but even so, the place was packed, everyone waiting to hear the melodic beats of his band. It was the one thing that Damon was proud of, his band. He was the lead singer, as well as guitarist, having taught himself both talents since the age of four. His fingers worked their magic on the strings, naturally strumming out tunes that would later spin into hit records. With his mother dying on his fourth birthday, Damon was left to fend for himself, helping his insufferable father as much as he could while still trying to be a kid. Probably the toughest job he ever had was raising his little brother while his father was severely depressed, eventually beginning to abuse the son whom resembled his mother until he turned ten. At the tender age of 15, he was left having to forge for a job in such a large city, ultimately working full-time as a mechanic, while raising a young Stefan and pursuing his musical career while his father sat by idly at his work.

Back then, he never realized how much his guitar-playing would revolutionize into something like this, a rock mogul. Serpenti was originally composed of his three wingmen, Markus, Anthony, and Armand.

In fact, Armand was the one who had booked the band to play in this dump. Damon snickered as he worked his way in through the back entrance, guitar case in hand. There were lines of people forming outside of the jam-packed club, awaiting the sight of the band. Markus smirked, pointing wordlessly to the fans holding up posters with obscene words written on them. Anthony nudged Markus in the ribs, silently telling him to get back to work.

As soon as Damon pulled the door open, he was blasted with music. Well, you could hardly call it music. A heavy metal band was playing, sounding more like screaming kindergarteners slamming their hands against the strings of guitars. It stung everyone's eardrums to listen to the shouting of the lead singer.

After working his way to the back of the stage, and set up his guitar to the amplifier, Damon finally heard the next band head onto the stage. Once the music began, it seemed that everyone took a sigh of relief hearing the soft, melodic beats of the soft rock band. The lead singer, a female, had a soft, mellifluous voice that spread throughout the room. It was calming, yet quite a snore. There were groups of people dancing, trying to at least gain something out of the hippie-styled music.

Damon peeked out, skimming the room for her face, praying that she wasn't out there. With fame come the stalkers, the creepy, strange stalkers. Her name was Delilah, a classmate of Damon's from high school, just before he dropped out to pursue his musical career. It began with her showing up at all of his gigs, then gradually flipped to showing up at his house. And from there it got out of hand. The shivers ran down his spine at the thought of her doing something worse.

He breathed out in relief when he couldn't find her face anywhere. It was the only plus to agreeing to do last-minute gigs. Just as he was about to turn around, Damon's eyes caught a glimpse of an enchanting sight. His eyes locked to her figure, watching her flow with the music, her body swaying. The sight was addicting, drawing him in, making him want to see more. But as soon as the beauty was before his sights, her face twisted into a frown, glancing down at something in her hand before walking towards the bar.

Turning to his bandmates, he said, "Be back in a few. I need a good drink." The others waved their hands while they continued tuning their instruments.

_And when the others had departed_

_Convincing words and she stayed late_

He knew the song would draw her in, make her succumb to the words that poured from his lips as his fingers strummed the beat he had carved into his head. It was the same thing he had done time after time with each beauty he wanted for himself. Simple words were all it took, and just like that, they were putty in his hands.

The alcohol he had purchased for her was enough to get her sloshed. In the minutes he had known her, she had released plenty of information about herself. Damon learned that her name was Elena, he brushed the name to the back of his memory, knowing that he wouldn't need it.

He told her his name, "I'm Damon," Knowing that she would need to know it for when she screamed out his name later on in the night.

It had just struck midnight when he took her by the hand, "My place?" She nodded, drowning in his ocean blue eyes.

It took mere minutes to reach his hotel room at the Ritz Carlton, and by this time, their lips were locked in a fiery kiss, tongues dancing, clashing for dominance. He growled, fumbling with the keys before finally throwing the door open. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his bulge press into her center.

He growled as she ground against him, the pain in his trousers becoming too much for him to bear. Kicking the door shut, Damon crashed against the wall, his back colliding with the surface, another growl emitting from his lips.

She continued grounding against his groin, continuing the blazing kiss. He hissed, "Keep doing that and I might lose control."

Elena giggled against his lips, "How enticing." She took her right hand, sliding down his chest until she reached his crotch where she rubbed up and down on his bulge.

It was then that he snapped, practically running, or stumbling in this case, to his bedroom, undressing each other along the way. By the time Elena's back hit the mattress, he had her down to her undergarments. She admiringly looked upon his naked body, the angel-sculpted chest, toned muscles, ruffled raven hair, he was a god.

He smirked before reaching down to the fabric of her bra, undoing the front clasp, watching as she wiggled out of the bra. Her breasts were beautiful in his eyes, even if he had seen bigger. One of his hands caressed her breasts, while his other hand rested upon the edge of her panties, tugging until the fabric was torn from her body.

She gasped from his kisses which started from her nether regions, to her stomach, then to her breasts, neck, and finally her lips. He captured her currently-swollen lips before thrusting inside of her without any warning. Her eyes widened at the large size of him. She had never experienced any man this large, especially since Damon wasn't giving her any time to adjust to his size. He simply guessed that she was used to this.

Their movements were frantic, her nails scraping against his skin, earning herself moans from him and the picking up of his speed.

He thrusted with godlike speed until she finally screamed out, "Damonnn!" His name on her lips sent his body into shudders as he thrust himself into her one last time, emptying himself completely inside of her.

* * *

_And now those empty whiskey bottles_

_They stand accusing from the floor_

_That I hear footsteps as she's leaving_

_Yes, she remembers the night before_


	3. Bittersweet Hangover

Elena inhaled sharply, eyes narrowed as she slid off of the mattress, trying her hardest to locate her clothing. Her shirt had been tossed onto the bedside lamp, shoes scattered to the far corners of the room, and her skirt was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, her undergarments were close by the bed, which she placed on first. The clasp on the bra was broken, but still closed by a tad, her shoes had scuffs on the tips, indicating a struggle to stumble into the room, and her shirt's buttons were beyond repair having been ripped off, leaving only six. And the time her eyes find their way to the clock on the far wall, she gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.

She staggered to her feet and rushed towards the door, pulling on her shoes along the way.

Damon shifted upwards so his back was resting against the headboard, "Where are you going?" He nearly trailed off, trying his best to remember her name. It all came as a blank, not being able to remember if he had even asked for it.

Elena gripped the handle, trying to get her other shoe in place, "I'm late for rehearsal." She too had forgotten his name, and nearly every detail of the night before.

He only nodded, not sure if he should ask exactly where she was going and if she needed to be escorted. With a shrug of his shoulders, he watched as she toddled out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Damon stayed put on the bed, trying to absorb the events that had just taken place. It was a blur for a moment before it all came crashing down upon him.

These feelings in the pit of his stomach became stronger, causing him to lean further against the headboard. The feelings felt foreign to him, having barely been in a committed relationship without being hurt or betrayed at some point. It was a strange feeling of attachment, but to what? No, it couldn't possibly be to her, for he had just met her. The waves of these feelings kept washing over him, making him feel nauseous, yet scared of something. But what?

His head hurt from trying to figure this all out. Too many unanswered questions bounced around the crevices of his mind. It was insane how he couldn't muster the knowledge to know that he had true feelings, a connection to this brunette beauty.

Damon remained still, staring blankly at the wall before stumbling to his feet where the hangover officially presented itself for the morning. His mind was beginning to clear when he had made his way to the corner of the room where his jeans were located. Reaching down, he swiftly plucked them from the floor. As soon as he held the jeans, the overwhelming feeling became stronger, and the picture was finally clear.

The realization of the mistake he had made came bursting through the door of his head. Everything went into rapid mod. Pulling his pants on, he rushed to the balcony to peer down to the streets. He searched the grounds from above, immediately spotting her getting into a cab just below.

It was mere seconds by the time he was in front of the elevator, most likely breaking multiple world records. He jabbed his finger on the button, cursing under his breath about how slow it was being. After seconds had passed, he said, "The hell with it," and ran to the stairway, speedily rushing down the stairs, skipping over steps along the way. Pushing the door open, he didn't hesitate to run to the lobby entrance where he burst through the door, twisting his head in each direction to find her face.

The city was buzzing with cabs on each avenue, many stuck in traffic jams. Rushing into the middle of the street, barefoot, Damon began peering into each cab, each time rushing away empty-handed. Cab after cab, he didn't have any luck of finding her.

After many searches, he located a jam of cabs, ran onto the roof of one, and placed his hand over his brows to block out the sun as he peered out to the bridge, jammed with taxis and cars.

"Get off!" The Indian driver screamed out of the window, immediately silencing when he saw who it was. "Damon Salvatore? My daughter loves you!" Damon ignored the man, continuously jumping from cab to cab, a swarm of fans beginning to follow him. Eventually, after minutes of searching, he jumped off of the taxi's roof, standing in the middle of the avenue as fans surrounded him, begging for autographs, his hands placed on either side of his head.

Elena leaned forward to tap on the glass, "How long do you think it'll take?" She asked the driver.

He looked into the rearview mirror, shaking his head, "Not for a while, miss."

She sighed, leaning against the seat and looking out of the window to the side of the bridge with the endless ocean. It was so calming, knowing that she was going to be in a lot of trouble.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. After nearly four rings, she picked up, "Hello?"

Elena gulped, pulling the phone a little bit away from her ear, "It's Elena. I'm in a traffic jam on the Del Mar Bridge." Her eardrum nearly burst when the stage director began screaming insults into the phone.

"…Be here as quick as you can since rehearsal is almost over." The director hung up, leaving Elena to ponder on how to get there in time. The idea popped into her head as soon as she put her phone back into her purse. She hopped out of the taxi, threw some cash into the window and began running through the traffic on the bridge, hoping to make it there in time.

* * *

**An Hour Later…**

Her chest heaved up and down, her breaths choppy. The theater was of complete marble, four stories in height with large, churchlike windows, beautiful archways, and golden gargoyles decorated each window and entranceway.

It took the breath away from her each time she laid eyes on its gorgeous, Victorian-styled exterior. Pulling the door open, the blasts of air conditioning from above immediately calmed her nerves before she rushed to her dressing room.

* * *

The band's motorhome was nearly full of life, Markus was asleep, and Anthony and Armand were playing a drinking game. Meanwhile, Damon was outside, tuning his guitar. He was really down-in-the-dumps since that morning; not wanting to each any lunch and turning down offers for alcohol. He needed something to lift up his spirits, and that was just about to come his way.

Mickey Bae, the band's druggie manager, strolled up to him, chatting on his phone while noisily chewing a wad of gum. Damon glared at him, disgusted by his red nose, obviously from recently inhaling drugs. Mickey was in the 200-pound range, but told everyone he weighed 150, had a huge beak for a nose, small lips that were always twisted in a wicked grin, and appeared to be the size of a 12-year-old, his personality being of the same origin.

After hanging up, he leaned against the side of the camper, staring wordlessly at Damon. It was when he popped a bubble from his gum that he spoke out, "Hey, kid."

Damon's face turned red, wanting to knock a good one on his cheek from being called a kid, "What?"

Mickey smirked, "You wouldn't believe what I just did," Damon rolled his eyes, biting back the many comebacks he had for that one sentence. Mickey continued, "I booked Serpenti a national tour, starting in California." He clapped his hands, cracked another smirk, and walked back to his Porsche where he sped off.

Damon was in shock for moments before he jumped to his feet, doing a small victory dance.

Markus was jolted awake from the sudden noises directed from outside, "What is that?" He rubbed his eyes, seeing Damon. He burst out laughing before rushing outside, stumbling along the way, "What are you doing?"

Damon spun around and gripped his shoulders, "We're going on a national tour!"

Markus started whooping, gathering the other drunken bandmates to head off for a night of celebration down at the local club.

But Damon didn't realize the utter mistake he had just made.

* * *

Elena's fingers gripped the laces of the ballet slippers, carefully lacing them together. Her mind was concentrated on the silk before her, when someone suddenly tapped her shoulder, jolting her inches into the air. She looked up to see Erik, a tall, dirty-blonde, 26-year-old with dark green eyes. He was a fellow ballet dancer who thought that he liked Elena, not realizing that he was gay. It seemed that everyone else had their suspicions, and he just never realized. Elena had always had a grudge against him for getting the other male dancer, Tristan, fired. She smiled kindly when he handed her a rose, stating, "Good luck," before watching him leave to rehearse his act.

Bringing the rose to her nose, she inhaled the intoxicating scent. The first thought that popped into her mind was of Damon; the way everything about him was intoxicating, his scent, his eyes, everything. She brushed it off, thinking it's nothing before walking to the curtain to watch the current act performing.

* * *

Damon was out celebrating, a little too much. The many anonymous women scattered throughout the bar had bought him drinks, and he downed each one. By midnight, he had flirted with nearly every woman in the bar, each one showing interest before their boyfriends would push him away.

He was sat at the bar, elbow rested against the counter as he finished yet another Snake Bite. It must have been the fourth one he had consumed, along with six Orgasms, which he believed was a message from the women who had sent them.

There was a fingernail trailed across the back of his neck before the whispering breath filled his ear, "Let's get out of here." The accent was German, with the scent of alcohol entwined. He obeyed, letting her drag him out of the club.

The next morning came, cracking his eyes open, he could see the familiar ceiling above him. It wasn't home, but it was the hotel room in which he was staying in since he hated the motorhome. The previous night's events were clear in his mind, even with the alcohol trying to fog his memory. Damon turned his head to the side, seeing nothing but an empty pillow and a small, folded note.

His fingers plucked the note up, reading the simple message scrawled inside,

_Had a fun time!_

Didn't even leave a name. Damon leaned against the pillow, feeling somewhat proud of his streak of one-night-stands.

* * *

Elena smiled as she stepped off of the stage, carrying a bouquet of flowers. Erik walked up to her, enveloping her into an awkward hug, "You were amazing."

Elena pushed away, a forced smile on her lips, "Thanks." She walked back to her dressing room, leaving him standing there. She removed her performance outfit and placed on jeans and a purple shirt.

"Hey! Bonnie and I are heading out to the club again if you want to come?" Caroline asked, hopeful that she would get a positive response.

After the events of two nights ago, Elena turned down the offer, "Not tonight. I'm not really in the mood." She looked down to her feet, knowing that Caroline would try the puppy eyes trick.

Caroline frowned, bummed, "Is this because of that guy?"

Elena straightened her back, eyes slightly wide, "You remember that night?"

Caroline scoffed, "I was barely sloshed. Course I remember." She crossed her arms against her chest.

Elena frowned, "So you could have stopped me from leaving the club with him?" She narrowed her eyes, seeing Caroline freeze.

"I didn't even see you leave." She shrugged her shoulders.

Rubbing her temples, Elena replied, "You don't remember his name, or any other details, do you?"

Caroline thought for a moment, "I remember the name of the guy I was with. Markus, that was his name. Sorry, I don't remember any more details." She pouted, knowing that Elena was disappointed.

Elena's face fell, "At least we have one name. I guess I'll talk to you later." She wrapped Caroline into a hug.

"Bye!" Caroline exclaimed before walking out of the theater behind Elena.

* * *

Damon laid on the mattress in the motorhome, now on its way to California. He hated how the springs kept jutting into his back, but he unfortunately had to live with it. The same feeling he had when Elena left had returned, even stronger than before. His eyes locked to the paddles on the fan, trying desperately to remember her name.

_What was that angel's name?_


	4. Missing You

**Four Weeks Later…**

A day off from work, it was like heaven for me. Sure, being a ballet dancer is great and brings in enough money to keep everything afloat, but it can grow tiring, wearing me down to the bone. Rehearsal goes from six in the morning to two in the afternoon, getting a thirty minute break for lunch. The first day on the job, you are instructed that you have to be committed to dancing, come to work even if you're sick beyond belief. Being in the ballet industry since the age of ten, I know each loophole to earn a day off. It's harder when the director is a bitchy woman with a black heart.

Sighing, I finished applying the lavender eye shadow to my eyes. Staring at the reflection of myself, I cracked a slight smile, seeing a certain and rare glow on my skin. My summer dress twirled as my body twisted to do a three-sixty pirouette. Even I had to admit that I looked pretty damn hot, even if I had mysteriously packed on a few pounds.

After playing the 'too-stressed-out-to-work' card with the stage director, I had managed a day off to myself; maybe even hang with a few friends. The sudden thought of being with loved ones brought back the bittersweet memory of him. How I wished I could remember his name, even his initials would do. Anything!

I was working with scraps to find the mysterious man of my fogged memories. Being stressed with the whole situation didn't help in the least bit either. I peeked out of the door to my room, making sure Bonnie and Caroline weren't in sight. But as soon as I did, my eyes caught sight of dark hair standing before my door.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, arms crossed against her chest with an amused smirk on her lips. I managed to stop myself from gulping, but knew the one question that would make her blush red with embarrassment.

"Why aren't you at work?" It was a simple question, but to Bonnie it was a caught-red-handed situation.

She shrugged her shoulders, failing at trying to play it cool, "I…took a day off."

I smirked, stepping out of the doorway and into the hall to stand in front of Bonnie with accusing eyes, "Oh, really? Me too." Deciding that I had enough fun, I playfully punched her in the shoulder, "Caroline isn't here, is she?" I looked around the hall, making sure I couldn't see any blonde hair dashing towards us.

Bonnie shook her head, "Nope. She left with some guy a while ago."

I shot my head to look at her, "Did she mention his name?"

Thinking for a moment, Bonnie rubbed the back of her neck, "Hum, I think she said his name was Mark or something."

My ears perked up, "Markus?" This had to be him, this had to.

Bonnie thought before shaking her head, "No, Mark whose the owner of that new bar down the street." My heart sunk to her stomach, hope of finding the mysterious man cracking. I nodded slightly before walking to the kitchen where I made two cups of coffee for the both of us.

Bonnie eyed me from reading her magazine in the living room, "Who's Markus?"

I looked up from staring at the coffee machine, clearing my throat, "Some guy that Caroline met. He's my only connection to finding that guy I have been looking for."

Bonnie tilted her head, placing the magazine on her lap, "Why do you want to find that guy so badly?"

I sighed, sitting on the edge of the marble countertop, "I don't know. It's like he consumes me whenever I think or dream about him, but his name is never clear. I need to meet him, and I don't know why." I shook my head, hearing how confusing it sounded.

Bonnie nodded before picking up her magazine to continue reading. When I brought the cup of coffee to her, Bonnie looked up, smiling gratefully, and taking a long sip of the liquid within the cup. I then took a seat opposite that of my friend, sipping my coffee as I stared out the apartment window.

Bonnie nearly coughed up her coffee when she suddenly remembered, "I totally forgot!" She rushed to her small office in the back of the apartment beside her bedroom and walked back to the living room with an envelope, "I didn't want to open it since it was for all three of us. Since Caroline isn't here we'll just have to open it now." I nodded, curiosity taking over the best of me.

Bonnie carefully tore open the envelope, sliding out the paper within. Without a moment's hesitation, she began reading it to herself, leaving me to ponder on what it is. Her eyes widened after reading each sentence, nearly screaming out towards the end.

"What?" I asked, trying to see the letter.

Bonnie picked her jaw up off of the ground before reading it aloud, "After the mandatory testing of the workers of the ballet company, we have decided that it be best if the three of you would accompany us to the Conference for the Performing Arts held on July 8th in North Las Vegas, Nevada. If you all wish to attend, please contact my assistant with the number below to run through the details of your flight and so forth. It will be a pleasure working with you. Carson Briggs."

I squealed, "Carson Briggs? As in manager for nearly every popular band in America?" Bonnie nodded, still shocked by the letter.

"I'm the co-director, why am I invited?" Bonnie asked, confused beyond belief.

I scoffed playfully, "Cause you're the co-director! The director obviously can't go because of the shows."

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "What about Caroline? This is her first year in the company."

Elena sighed, now a little bit frustrated by the questions, "She's still an amazing ballet dancer." Bonnie couldn't help but to agree; Caroline had begun dancing since she could walk, used in various Broadway productions since the age of seven. She was a natural star.

Standing up, Bonnie made her way to place her coffee cup in the dishwasher, walking in zombielike motions. I took one final sip of her coffee before my face turned an unhealthy shade of green, causing me to rush to the bathroom.

* * *

Las Vegas, Nevada…

Four weeks of touring continuously around the country was taking a toll on Damon, the glint that was once in his eyes was nowhere in sight as he stared out to the wild crowd, singing the lyrics as if he were a robot.

"Every time I think of you  
I always catch my breath  
And I'm still standing here and you're miles away  
And I'm wondering why you left

And there's a storm that's raging  
Through my frozen heart tonight

I spend my time thinking about you  
And it's almost driving me wild

And there's a heart that's breaking down this long-distance line tonight."

He bit back the lyrics he wanted to insert so badly, but knew that it would only give everything away. And that would be it; his career as well as his life would be kaput.

When the crowds had departed out the doors, Damon sat on the edge of the stage, strumming his guitar to that same soft rock song he had heard when he first saw her face. She was a goddess in his eyes, and he wanted her all to himself. No woman could compare to her. She had to be his, and he would do anything to make sure of that.

Markus, equally yearning for a certain girl, took a seat next to Damon, drawing his knee up to rest his chin upon it. His eyes had a lost look in them as he stared out to the large, empty room, imagining that night he had met her. That perfect angel face smiling up to him. Snapping out of it, he turned to Damon, seeing him equally lost at heart, "What's her name?" He asked.

Damon sighed, continuing the song on his guitar, "I don't know."

Markus frowned, looking down to his shoes, "Same here, can't seem to remember her name."

Damon stopped the song, looking over to his longtime friend, seeing how he was hurting just as much as he was, "Describe her for me."

Markus chuckled before beginning, "The most gorgeous blue eyes I have ever seen with a glint of wildness in them, long, blonde hair, and a great laugh," He paused, remembering her face, "What about your mysterious girl?"

Damon smirked, "Chestnut brown hair that shimmers in the moonlight, doe-brown eyes, pouty lips, heart-shaped face." His eyes fluttered shut as he continued the soft song, "It's like I can feel her with me, even if I only met her for one night."

"You get the same feeling, ha?" Markus was amazed by how two different women could affect them this profoundly. The two sat on the stage, replaying the amazing night when they met their soul mates in a small club in New York City.


	5. Welcome to Las Vegas

**A/N: 10 hours of sleep, and I am ready to write a chapter! I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

Sleep was insufficient, dreams haunted by his face, his voice whispering into her ear. Each time the dream would come to a bitter end, Elena would jolt awake, her chest heaving with each jagged breath she took, wishing she could be wrapped in his arms again. It was one night in New York, she would tell herself. It couldn't have meant something.

Even with those thoughts, Elena still knew deep down in her heart that that one night in the Big Apple meant everything to her. It was killing her how she couldn't remember even his first name.

She rested her head back on the pillow, wishing for more sleep. It all came to a deadly halt when the door to her room flew open and two bodies began jumping on her bed.

"Wakey, wakey!" Once voice called out while the other giggled.

"It's that day, Elena!"

Elena rubbed her eyes before sitting up onto her elbows, "What day?"

A hand flicked the lights on, invading Elena's vision of the once-dark room, "The day we leave this God-forsaken city and go to Vegas." Caroline pulled Elena to her feet on the floor, allowing Bonnie time to grab Elena's packed suitcase from the closet.

"Get dressed; you have an hour before we leave." Bonnie instructed before tugging Caroline out of the room.

* * *

Elena was fully-dressed when she made her way down the small hall of the apartment towards Bonnie's room, quietly.

She halted when she heard her name pop-up in a conversation between her two friends.

"I don't know, Care. I still think that she has to get over this guy." The voice came from Bonnie.

Caroline swiftly replied, "I agree, it's tearing her apart."

Elena quietly inhaled sharply before stepping into the room, acting like she heard nothing, "Ready?"

The two girls nearly jumped from their skin before collecting themselves and nodding, then all three walked out, rolling their suitcases.

* * *

Stepping off of the plane felt like pure heaven for the three of them. The Nevada sun poured rays of light onto their pale skin, sunglasses being forced up the bridges of their noses.

"Welcome to North Las Vegas." A tall woman in a dress suit welcomed. She looked down at the clipboard in her hand before looking back up to the girls in front of her, "You must be Caroline," She pointed to Bonnie who tilted her head.  
"I'm Bonnie, that's Caroline." She pointed towards the tall blonde who flashed a smile.

The woman nodded before looking towards Elena, "And that means you're Elena. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Jessica, and I will be your personal assistant for your trip. I will be giving you a tour of the entire city before we head over to the grand luncheon later in the day to have a meet-and-greet with Mr. Briggs."

The girls nodded, allowing Jessica to continue, "If you will follow me I will show you to your limousine."

Caroline gasped, "A limousine?"

Jessica chuckled, her dark brown hair flowing in the light breeze, "Yes. It is parked in front of the airport."

Once they made their way through the large, executive airport, they were greeted by the sight of a large, black limousine parked just as Jessica had said. The limousine driver, who later introduced himself as Emmanuel, opened the door, allowing the girls to slip inside.

Jessica was seated last across from the girls who were gawking out the windows to see the sights.

"It's quite a city. I hope you all will enjoy your time here."

Elena giggled, looking over to the gray-eyed assistant, "Most definitely."

Jessica cleared her throat after a few minutes, gaining their attention, "Mr. Briggs is expecting us to arrive at the Monte Carlo, where the luncheon will be held at André's."

"André's? Is that a restaurant?" Bonnie asked.

Jessica nodded, "The most honored and awarded restaurant in Las Vegas. Mr. Briggs has asked the owners to have the entire restaurant reserved for this luncheon."

Elena flashed a wide smile, "Is it me or do I feel like we're celebrities?"

Caroline nodded, laughing as well. Jessica raised her eyebrows before texting away on her phone.

* * *

There was a knock at the door of the band's hotel room, jolting them from their spots.

Anthony rose to answer the door, pulling it open before leaning against the side of the door, "Yeah?"

The man before him in a tailored suit straightened his back, "Is this the room of the band Serpenti?"

Anthony nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"I have important information from Mr. Carson Briggs."

Anthony immediately straightened his back, stepping to the side to allow the man inside. Damon glanced over the counter in the kitchen to see who it was, "Who is it, Anthony?"

Anthony walked towards the kitchen, "Some guy with info from Carson Briggs."

Damon's eyebrow rose, "_The_ Carson Briggs?" Anthony nodded before gesturing to Damon to walk into the living room where the entire band sat down on the couches, allowing the man to talk freely.

The man stood in front of the group, hand clasping a clipboard, "Mr. Briggs has heard talk about the up-and-coming band, Serpenti. He has gained an interest in you and would like for you to join him for the Conference for the Performing Arts this coming Friday."

Damon looked to his band mates who all nodded in agreement before standing up, "Sure, we'll attend." The man smiled, "My name is Alfred, I will be your assistant as well as escort. Mr. Briggs would like for you to meet him at André's, located downstairs, tonight at 3:30 sharp for a private lunch. I shall escort you down there when the time is right."

The group nodded before watching the freakishly tall man leave.

Armand cleared his throat, "Well, that was...odd."

* * *

Seated around a large, round table was the three girls, one of who were constantly checking her watch.

"It's 2:42. He told us to be here at 2:30 sharp, and he's the one that's late." Bonnie huffed, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

The doors to the room bursted open, revealing a short, skinny man with licorice-red cheeks. His voice echoed throughout the large restaurant, "Girls! How nice to see you again."

Elena nearly rolled her eyes, for they had never met Carson Briggs before. Caroline nearly jumped from her seat to hug him, but Bonnie managed to pull her back to her seat.

He smiled as he took a seat, "How are you all this fine day?"

"Great." The three girls chimed in.

A waitress came and took their orders, returning ten minutes later to give them their meals.

"Have you toured the city yet?" He asked suddenly.

Elena shook her head, "Only a little bit. We didn't even get to see our hotel."

Carson nearly burst out laughing, "Why, sweetheart, you're in the hotel. Monte Carlo, the grand hotel of Las Vegas, is where you all will be staying. I'm guessing Jessica has shared with you the details of when and where the conference will be held?"

Caroline shook her head, "She only told us about this luncheon, but that's about it."

His smile faltered for mere seconds before being plastered to his lips once again, "That's alright, I'll just tell you myself," He wiped the corners of his mouth from the pasta sauce before continuing, "The conference will be held here at André's this Friday. I have invited fifty groups, mostly bands, to attend. It's like a meet-and-greet."

The girls nodded before silence filled the room.

* * *

When the luncheon had drawn to an end, Elena quietly excused herself, rushing to the bathroom for the umpteenth time. Mr. Briggs leaned forward to ask quietly, "Is she feeling alright?"

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "She's never really open about those subjects."

Mr. Briggs nodded before standing up, the two remaining girls doing the same. He stretched his hand out to shake both of their hands, "It has been a pleasure meeting you all. I look forward to seeing you this Friday." It was only Monday and the girls were already counting down the days until the conference.

The girls smiled before rushing to the bathroom located just outside the entryway.

"Elena?" They called out, hearing a small groan in reply.  
"I haven't been feeling well for the past week." Elena's voice echoed out.

Bonnie and Caroline sat on the counter of the sinks, listening to the crude noises of her puking.

Bonnie eventually couldn't take hearing it anymore and began to walk towards the exit.

"I'm going to go get our stuff from the table. Be right back!" She said over her shoulder, watching Caroline's face twist with each horrid echo of Elena regurgitating her lunch.

Bonnie's heels clicked against the marble flooring, hearing the voices from the table they were just at.

"Is that a purse?" A male voice asked.

Another voice answered, "I think so." Bonnie rounded the corner, picking up her pace as she saw one young man lifting up her purse.

"I'll take that." She politely said as she grabbed the purse from his grip, resulting in all of the young men's heads to turn their direction to her. "Did any of you also happen to see two white purses?"

Little did she know that the men sitting in front of her were the two men that Caroline and Elena were still yearning to meet again. The black-haired man, Damon, searched his chair before lifting up one purse, and the man seated next to him, Armand, lifted up the other. Bonnie grabbed both of them, thanking the two of them.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Briggs." She apologized.

Carson shook his head, "It's alright, sweetheart. See you and your friends on Friday!" She smiled and nodded before walking back towards the bathroom, only to be greeted by her two friends waiting outside.

"What took you so long?" Elena asked, slightly pale.

Bonnie sighed before handing them their purses, "I needed some help finding these."

* * *

Once they found their room after a day of touring the city with Jessica, they soon realized they would have problems with the neighbors who were clearly rehearsing at the time.

Elena angrily sighed, having enough of listening to two hours of their rehearsal. Storming over to the wall, she pounded her fist against it, yelling, "Keep it down!" Bonnie and Caroline stood behind her.

Damon glared towards the wall as if he could see the person pounding against it. Laying his guitar on the ground, he walked towards the wall and pounded back, "We're rehearsing!" There were seconds of silence before another fist pounded against the wall, added to the first woman.

Bonnie yelled out, "In a fucking hotel! We're trying to sleep, jackass!"

Thirty minutes of this, and the boys finally gave up, turning off their amps and slipping into bed.

Before falling asleep, Damon walked towards the wall, "You win!"

The girls high-fived each other, smiling. Damon snickered before yelling again, "Bitches!"

Caroline grew red, grabbing the phone and calling down to the lobby, "I'd like to know who is in room 135." She got her answer before slamming the phone back on the receiver, "A god damn band named Serpenti. Who the hell names their band _Serpenti_? I can't believe that our only neighbor on this floor is a fucking band."

Elena giggled before rushing into the small kitchen, and running back out with objects in her hand, dispersing them to each girl. "Make as much noise as you can with these." She instructed, wickedly grinning.

The girls spent a good hour slamming wooden spoons against the pots and pans, while the band next door encircled their heads with their pillows.


	6. The One That Got Away

**A/N: So sorry I haven't updated in forever. I hope this makes up for it! Pretty please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, nor any of the characters associated with the show! I only own Jessica, Alfred, Markus, Armand, and Anthony.**

* * *

"Elena, this is the sixth morning in a row that you've been hurling." The palms of Caroline's hands were pressed against the wood, her head rested against the door. Bonnie walked in from the kitchen, a coffee mug in hand, her eyebrows raised quizzically.

The exhausted brunette leaning against the sink, her face pale, called out weakly, "I'm," she cleared her throat, "fine. Just a stomach bug."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "We both know that it's not a stomach bug." Caroline pointed her questioning gaze towards the friend to her right, having no clue what she was referring to.

Bonnie sighed before knocking on the door, leaving Caroline to ponder on the mysterious subject, "If you're fine, then come out. Jessica will be arriving shortly to take us out for shopping at one of those high-end stores uptown."

Caroline, having given up the previous confusing predicament, giggled slightly, "We'll finally be uptown girls. No more ragtag clothing."

Elena sighed, knowing that she couldn't fight a battle she had already lost in, flicked off the lights and slowly opened the door, hoping the darkness would conceal her pale face.

A pair of arms were thrown around her shoulders, "Oh, Elena! You look ghostly."

_Curse Caroline and her amazing eyesight! _

Elena shook her head before shrugging out of Caroline's embrace and made her way to her side of the hotel room, rummaging through the small closet filled with clothing she had messily packed. Picking out a nice skirt that went well with her purple baby doll shirt. Caroline and Bonnie were busy fixing breakfast for the three of them when Elena suddenly gasped. The two shot their gazes up to see the brunette staring at herself in the mirror, only wearing her undergarments.

"What?" Caroline asked, making her way into the bedroom area, biting into her croissant. Elena glanced over to her friend, eyes slightly narrowed.

"I've gained weight. Look at this." She pinched her stomach, showing her friends how she had gained a meager three pounds.

Bonnie chuckled, "It's a few pounds, what's the big deal?"

Elena gaped at Bonnie, "I'm fat!"

The two girls shook their heads before returning to the kitchen, knowing that they were treading on eggshells if they continued on with that conversation. Bonnie could guess that there was something up with Elena, whether the poor girl realized it or not. She chuckled inwardly before returning to preparing a cup of coffee for Caroline.

* * *

The blue ocean that was Damon's eyes appeared as he cracked his eyes open, still sore from glaring daggers at the wall the previous night. Rolling over, he could see Anthony lying in bed, his arm swung over the shoulder of a female companion, who Damon guessed would be gone within the next half hour. His eyes swept across the room, finding Armand sound asleep in his bed, but once he came upon Markus' cot, which he had to sleep on since they didn't have enough beds, he found it strangely empty. Normally, Markus was the last one up and at 'em. The soft breeze from behind him confirmed Damon's thoughts. Pulling on his leather pants, his bare feet padded against the wooden flooring as he made his way silently towards the open balcony door. The cream-colored curtains were flittering in the breeze, brushing against Damon's bare chest.

Markus gazed out upon the city, the bright lights amazing him. He couldn't understand how people could go about their days, not realizing that there was a man out there with a hole in his heart. A gaping hole that only the mysterious woman who had plagued his dreams for the past weeks could fill. He wanted to see her face, hold her close, confess his love. If only.

He completely froze at the touch of a hand clasping onto his shoulder. The hand slipped away when Damon leaned against the railing next to him, gazing out to the buildings and ant-sized people below.

"What's got you all muddled this fine morning?" Damon asked with a hint of sarcasm laced in his voice.

Markus lightly sighed as so he couldn't hear him do so, "That goddamn woman." He closed his eyes tightly before snapping them back open.

Damon scoffed, "Women have a way of getting inside our heads," Markus nodded in agreement, allowing him to continue, "Just do what I do and screw her out of your head."

Markus narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

Damon looked at him in disbelief, "You plus a random woman plus sex equals mysterious woman stopping from screwing with your head."

"Seriously? Is that what you do?" Damon nodded, smiling cockily. Markus shook his head in disappointment, "And how is that working for you?" He crossed his arms against his chest, watching Damon's facial expressions change dramatically.

He was quiet for a few moments, thinking it through, "Well…" He looked back over his shoulder, "Oh look at that, Anthony's finally kicking that girl out. Took him long enough." Trying to avoid answering his question, Damon hastily walked back into the hotel room, waving with a cocky grin at the girl who was putting up a struggle with Anthony nudging her out the door.

"Oh, come on. I just woke up," She pleaded, "I'm barely dressed!" Damon stopped walking, wondering how the hell he didn't notice that beforehand. Anthony shrugged his shoulders, finally managing to get the girl out the door.

Flopping down on the stool, Anthony glanced over to the-still-sleeping Armand, "At least someone got a decent night's sleep."

Markus crossed his arms, "Tony, you didn't sleep with that girl _here_, did you?" Damon glanced up from the newspaper, listening in on the conversation.

Anthony shook his head, "Nah, you guys were out and about the city after the rehearsal. And after those little vixens next door performed their _marvelous_ show." Markus sighed in relief, not wanting there to be any awkward tension if he had.

Damon placed the newspaper on the counter, raising the coffee mug up to his lips, "Armand better wake up soon, or we'll leave without him." Armand raised his head up, looking around quizzically. He did this almost every morning, not recognizing his surroundings.

"Speak of the devil." Damon muttered before walking towards Armand's bed, "El Toro, get up." Armand glanced up quizzically before nodding and stumbling out of bed.

"Were you talking about me, Rocco?" Armand asked Damon after dressing. His legs swung and hit the counter in front of him.

Damon shrugged, smirking inwardly before turning to Markus, "Were we, Gandhi?" Markus rolled his eyes at the absurd nickname he had earned because of his religion. He slid off of the stool and made his way to the bathroom where he silently seethed.

* * *

"Jessica, you're early." Elena said, moving to the side to allow the woman in. Jessica's hair was pulled back into a bun, wearing a black dress-suit that went down to her knees. Her mouth was twisted into a smile as the girls met in the living room.

"You all ready?" She asked, keeping her eyes worriedly on Elena's still-pale face.

The three girls chorused their answers before following after Jessica to the hall. Caroline glared daggers at the door that led to the room where the band Serpenti was staying. She felt satisfied that they had an insufficient amount of sleep last night.

Elena followed directly after Jessica, glancing towards the door that Caroline was glaring at. "What did you say their band's name was?"

Caroline snickered, "Serpenti."

Elena froze, the memory hitting her like a ton of bricks to the head…

* * *

"_Serpenti," Elena slurred, leaning against Damon's shoulder as they walked, more like stumbled, down the street, "It has a ring to it."_

_Damon smirked down to her, his eyes glazed over from the large amount of alcohol he had consumed alongside Elena. Even heavily intoxicated, his English was perfect, not a single slur, "It means…I forget what it means, but it is nice, isn't it?"_

_Elena completely changed the subject, "You're the singer?" Damon nodded as they finally came upon Damon's hotel. _

"_Sing me a song!" She bellowed, laughing suddenly when they had reached the lobby. _

_Damon glanced around to the staring faces, whispering, "I'll sing for you once we're in a secure location away from the eyes." _

_Elena giggled, "You sound like a spy."_

**Two Hours Later…**

_Damon smoothed back his hair, watching as Elena slowly drifted into sleep, mumbling out, "Serpenti." A small smile formed on his lips as he ran his fingers through her soft locks, wanting to savor this moment even if he knew that they both would long forget about this night the next morning. _

"_When a man loves a woman  
Can't keep his mind on nothing else  
He'd trade the world  
For a good thing he's found  
If she is bad, he can't see it  
She can do no wrong  
Turn his back on his best friend  
If he puts her down_

_When a man loves a woman_  
_Spend his very last dime_  
_Trying to hold on to what he needs_  
_He'd give up all his comforts_  
_And sleep out in the rain_  
_If she said that's the way_  
_It ought to be"_

_Smiling down to the sleeping figure, Damon placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before falling asleep as well._

* * *

"Elena!" Bonnie called out, gripping her shoulders. Elena snapped her head up, tears brimming her eyes. It was the first time she had been able to see his face, yet she still didn't have a name.

"Geez, I thought you were going to be frozen like that for good." Caroline said.

Elena glanced between her two friends, her eyes stopping on Caroline. She knew that Caroline was also suffering from not being able to find the 'White Knight' as she called him. She had watched her friend spend hours walking around the room aimlessly. It was killing not just herself, but her friend as well.

Elena weighed her options heavily before smiling towards Jessica, "Let's go."

The woman stood there with her mouth slightly agape then nodded, continuing walking on towards the elevator.

"Do we really need to go?" Anthony whined, sounding like a 14-year-old girl. Damon rolled his eyes before ruffling Anthony's dirty-blonde hair.

"No need for whining." Alfred said sternly, eyebrows furrowed as he looked down the hall to see the elevator doors closing. With a sigh, he turned back to the men, "Shall we leave now?" The four nodded, following one after another.

* * *

"Welcome to Juicy Couture." A preppy blonde greeted them as the four women entered the high-end store. With wide eyes, they scattered to different departments hastily.

"Remember, we're here for dresses!" Jessica called out, sighing when the girls kept on rushing past her.

Elena picked up a satin, open-back red cocktail dress, "I think I found mine." She said breathlessly, eying the dress in wonder.

Caroline pranced over to Jessica, holding up the light blue, strapless party dress, "Mine." She said with a hint of possession in her tone, eyes sparkling.

Bonnie glanced up, seeing the other girls already with their dresses up at the check-out. Sighing, she glanced back down to the endless racks of dresses. All she wanted was one color, and it seemed the only choices they had were either bland or slutty. After minutes of searching, her eyes landed on a dress towards the end of the rack. Grabbing it, she was awe-struck by how perfectly it matched the image she had in mind. The midnight black versatile silk dress, which had beautiful ruffles, asymmetric hem, and flutter sleeves. The smile spread across her face as she walked up to join in her friends at the check-out counter.

* * *

"Rocco, check this out." Damon looked over his shoulder as he was being fitted for a suit. Armand was dressed in a finely-tailored suit, acting out a scene from a James Bond film.  
Raising his hands to form a gun, he looked over with a serious face, "The name's Bond. James Bond."

Damon chuckled before wincing, "That's the third time you've pricked me with those pins." He said calmly as he glanced down to the man who was clearly fumbling with the pins.

"Sorry, sir." He answered, his thick British accent poking through.

Damon nodded before looking towards the window, seeing a group of girls walk past. He turned to Markus, also being fitted, "Check those girls out, Mark." Markus looked to the window, seeing the girls walk past as they broke out into giggling fits.

Something inside Markus screamed at him, and that's when it hit him. His eyes widened before looking to Damon, "Mystery girl." He choked out before jumping off of the small stage and running out the door. Damon thought for a moment, thinking back to the face of the girl who was leading the group. The brunette girl seemed familiar, too familiar. He inhaled sharply, realizing who she was to him.

He jumped off of the stage, resulted in getting pricked by the pins once again, but ignored the jabbing pain and darted after Markus. He stopped almost immediately when he found him standing on the sidewalk, hands on either side of his head.

"They're gone. They're fucking gone." Markus muttered, eyes sorrowful. Damon looked on, silent for a few moments.

"Weren't they walking?" He asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

Markus nodded, "They got into a car and…drove away." He frowned.

"Excuse me! You must come back into the store!" One of the tailors called out, pointing to the open door. Markus complied, walking numbly back. Damon stood there for a minute longer, hands shoved into his pinned pockets.

"I'm going to find you one day." He muttered beneath his breath before walking back to the store.

* * *

**A/N: Did you like, love, or dislike? Tell me in your review! I hope, hope, hope that this made up for the longgg wait!**


	7. Looks Like We Made It

**A/N: Pretty please R&R since reviews help with the writing process!**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**Looks Like We Made It**

* * *

The day had finally come, Friday. Everyone seemed to be a bundle of nerves, nervousness taking over each cell in their bodies. The girls had done each other's hair just as they had pictured it; Elena's hair was curled and slightly pulled back while Caroline's hair was in a tight bun, small pieces of curled hair purposely dangling, and Bonnie's locks were pulled to the side and formed into a crisscross pattern.

The dresses were gingerly placed on, their toes curling in excitement. Amidst the bustle to get prepared for the conference, there was a strange, growing feeling within the depths of Elena. She couldn't pinpoint it, but it was causing her to shift uncomfortably as she sat on the couch, waiting impatiently for her friends.

"Hurry up!" She practically whined, clutching her stomach from yet another wave of nausea.

Caroline peeked out from the bathroom, facial moisturizer plastered to her cheeks, "Geez, can't a girl have a few minutes?" She shook her head jokingly, watching as Elena's eyes curved inward for an eye roll. Bonnie was the first of the two to be finished, her dress flittering with each step she took. Her high heels contrasted with her dress beautifully, showing off just the right amount of leg. Caroline walked out shortly after Bonnie, her bright red fuck-me-heels shimmering in the lights from above.

A gasp escaped the lips of Elena once she caught sight of the heels, jumping to her feet, "You can't wear those!" Her eyes widened.

The bubbly blonde pouted, "And why not?"

"Because they send out the wrong message." Elena narrowed her eyes, daring her to argue.

She did just that, "What if I want to send out that messa-"

Bonnie stomped her foot, gaining their attentions, "Can we just go now? I believe Jessica is waiting in the lobby for us."

* * *

The hall leading to the critically-acclaimed restaurant was draped with beautiful décor, the chandeliers were on full-force, unlike the first time the girls had traveled down the magnificent hall. The paintings hanging from the walls were both so beautiful and modern that it gave everyone a small shiver down their spines, the adrenaline building up. The two waiters at the end of the corridor swiftly opened the doors, unveiling the grand room within. It seemed each person in the large group gasped at the beauty. It was far more magnificent than the hall; in fact, the hallway didn't even put up much of a competition compared to the grandness of the colossal room.

Neither of the girls recognized it to be the same room they had had the luncheon just days before. The room was larger, decorated obviously for this event.

The large table in the center of the room was the length of fifteen tables pushed together. Small flags were placed on each table, printed with the name of the group that is to be seated there. Bonnie searched around, eventually finding the name of their ballet company on the far end of the table, coincidentally seated right next to Carson Briggs' private table. Elena rolled her eyes as she took her seat, obviously annoyed with the idea of being seated next to the money-on-legs.

Caroline fidgeted in her seat, the identical feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if something either bad or good was about to unfold.

* * *

Damon took his seat at the opposite end, having arrived late thanks to Armand taking his sweet time getting up from bed. Glancing around to the other bands located on his end of the table, he recognized many big names such as Dukes of Monroe, Bloomsbury, and Viva. His eyes began to sparkle once he caught sight of the names on the flags, having wanted to always meet his idols.

Anthony had the fortune of being seated next to his favorite band growing up. All the while, he was itching to ask for an autograph, but immediately knew better. Armand sat memorizing the menu, as did Markus. The lights above flickered slightly, gaining everyone's attention.

Carson Briggs strolled into the room, not even concerned that he was close to an hour late. Raising his hands up slightly, he cracked a smile, "Ah, welcome everyone!" The waiter pulled his chair out in which he quickly took a seat in. Elena didn't bother a look towards the skinny man, but Caroline seemed to have the urge to hug him once again. It was strange, but something about him just screamed that he needed a good hug.

Damon leaned forward, opening his menu, having trouble deciding what to order.

* * *

"So, ladies, how has your time in Las Vegas been?" Carson gestured towards their outfits, "You all look marvelous, if I may add."

The girls managed weak smiles before muttering back answers. Quite obviously he was in the chatter-box mood, for he continued bothering them with multiple questions. The girls thanked the Lord when the appetizers were served, which immediately shut him up.

The entire band on the other end were shoving different varieties of foods into their mouths, not caring which country it originated from. Damon stared down at the squid, a small knot forming in his throat.

Anthony slurped up the squid tentacle, staring at Damon like he had three heads, "Aren't you going to eat your squid?"

Shaking his head and pushing the plate away from him, his face turned an unhealthy shade of green, "I'll eat anything but that." Anthony shrugged his shoulders before jabbing his fork into the abandoned squid. Damon looked anywhere that wasn't at him eating the tentacles, his eyes landing at the other end of the table. From where he was, which was pretty far away from the opposite end, he could see Carson Briggs with at least six plates of appetizers placed before him, sampling from each of the plates.

His boredom came to a halt when there was a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, his mouth fell agape when he saw the face of Caspar Ray, brightly smiling, wearing his signature leather jacket with the sleeves torn off. Damon immediately jumped to his feet, taking the hand that the rock legend had extended out, "It's an honor to meet you." He choked out, eyes still saucers.

Caspar chuckled, "No, no. It's an honor to meet _you_. I saw your band playing at the Red Jay. You got some talent, kid." He brought his freehand up to smooth back the side of his hair, smirked, and swiftly walked away. He was never known for long conversations.

Damon sat back down in his chair with a thud, numb and speechless. Anthony clapped him on the back, "Dude, you just talked with Caspar Ray. Ya know how fuckin' lucky you are?" He shut his mouth once the waiter began taking their orders for the entrée.

* * *

Bonnie fidgeted in her seat, bit her nails, all while nervously glancing towards Elena who was stuffing her face with each food that came in contact with her fingertips. Somewhere between getting the drinks and the appetizers, Caroline had picked up on Bonnie's suspicions.

It was when Elena announced, "I'm going to the bathroom," that all of her control snapped. Softly grabbing her wrist, Bonnie began to lead her away from the table. Elena whined, catching a certain black-haired, blue-eyed man's attention at the far end of the table. His eyes caught sight of her face as she stood up, his mouth falling open, the fork dropping to his plate with an echoing clink. Wordlessly standing to his feet, he slowly began to walk towards the two, not sure if he was seeing things.

"I'm not going to beat around the bushes Elena, but," she leaned in, "when was your last menstrual cycle?"

Elena's mouth dropped open, "Bonnie!" She brought her voice to a whisper, "This is _not_ the place to be talking about that."

Bonnie sighed, "Just answer the question."

"I-I don't know, why?"

Ignoring the question, she continued pressing questions on her, "Do you know why you've been getting sick? Have you seen a doctor?"

Elena shook her head, "It's a stomach bug, I told you that already."

"But how do you know that?"

"What are you talking about?" Elena's eyebrows were furrowed, lost in the conversation. Damon had finally made his way to the two women, about to tap on the mystery woman's shoulder.

Bonnie snapped, completely frustrated, "Elena!" She gripped her shoulders, "Don't you realize that you're pregnant?"

Elena's mouth fell open, eyes wide as she counted in her head, "I-I can't be. My last…oh God." She gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth, "I'm pregnant," She felt as if she might just faint, "That means that guy f-from New York, the guy in that band, h-he got me pregnant."

Bonnie nodded, enveloping her friend into a hug when she started to sob, "It's going to be okay, Elena." She opened her eyes, seeing the man standing there, stunned.

"Can I help you?" Bonnie asked suddenly, watching as his eyes snapped to the back of Elena's head. Elena slowly turned around, wiping the smeared mascara from under her eyes. Once she looked up to the man, she froze, mixed emotions coursing through her at the sight of his face.

He couldn't dare look her in the eyes from shame that he had made her cry second handedly. It was his weakness; crying women. Clearing his throat and staring at a spot on the floor, he said, "Uhm," Thinking back to the name Bonnie had used, he continued, "Elena, I'm Damon, the guy you slept with in New York." He bit his bottom lip, not meaning to word it like that.

Elena tensed, "I'm presuming you heard what was said before?" He nodded, making her stomach churn, "Now you know, I guess you don't want to have a part in this, right?"

He snapped his head up, speechless by her sudden question. Mouth agape, he didn't know what to say, for he needed the time to mull this situation over. How is a man supposed to decide like the snap of fingers after just finding out that he's having a kid? Rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes were directed back to the floor.

Elena took this as his answer and stormed past him, pointedly colliding shoulders with him. Bonnie stood back, eyes narrowed towards the man who had upset her greatest friend. With a huff, she walked back to the table, ignoring the stares she got from Carson and others around the table.

Damon stood there, still rubbing the back of his neck. He could possibly lose the woman he was wild about, or he could feasibly lose his career if he chased after her. Looking back to the table, he caught the eyes of the rest of his band, all curiously tilting their heads, wondering what the hell he's doing. Slowly, he raised his hand up to his head and saluted them, their signal for farewell, before darting towards the exit and rushing down the hall.

Markus jumped to his feet, as did Caroline once Bonnie told her everything. The two dashed after their friends, not once glancing towards the person next to them. Once Damon reached the end of the corridor, his boots couldn't grip the ground, sliding against the marble until he caught himself and made a break for the entrance to the hotel where he could see Elena just walking out the rotating door.

Caroline had managed to beat Markus to the end of the hall, but was forced to bend over, completely out of breath, resting her hands on her knees. Markus, being the gentleman that he is, stopped to help her, resting his hand on her back, asking breathlessly, "You okay?"

"Yeah." She straightened her back before glancing to the man next to her, "Wait, Markus?"

He stiffened, a slight smile forming on his lips, "Mystery Girl?" Caroline smiled before he drew her in for a passionate kiss, only pulling back to whisper into her ear, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."

* * *

Managing past the rotating door, Damon's chest was heaving up and down as he finally came upon Elena's back, her body shuttering from her quiet sobs as she failed at trying to get a cab. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he choked out, "I want to be…a part of this."

Elena froze before turning on her heel to look at his face, the mascara streaks coating her pink cheeks, "R-really?"

He smiled slightly, brushing a piece of stray hair out of her face, "Of course, kitten."

She let out a small laugh that was dying to be released only to be cut off by his lips colliding with hers for a heated kiss. Pulling back, she wrapped her arms around his waist as they walked back into the hotel. Reaching the elevator, Elena could see Caroline and another guy getting into the neighboring lift.

"I wonder who he is?" She asked to no one in particular as they waited.

Damon smiled when he glanced over towards the two, "That's Markus. It seems he's found his Mystery Girl," Stepping inside the open elevator, he clicked the button for their floor and captured her lips once again, "And so have I."

* * *

**A/N: ****Thank you so much for your reviews! Unfortunately, I have no clue when I will be able to update any of my stories due to a tight schedule (which is why I took so long to update this) with rehearsals. If I had gone longer, I would have had to make you guys wait extended periods of time which would have been long and would have sucked for you guys. I will try my hardest to update as soon as possible. **


	8. Top of the World

**A/N: Annnd I'm back for an update! Thank you for all of your patient waiting. Ah, the almighty questions; 'how could Elena be so oblivious? Or maybe she knew and didn't want to admit it?' Hmm, well, we all know how Elena can be 'a few fries short of a Happy Meal' at times, especially when it comes to a subject that she has never approached before. We may never know if she knew, but didn't want to admit it, but who knows…**

**Pretty please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries nor any of the characters associated with the show. I do not own 'Top of the World' by Carpenters.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

**Top of the World**

* * *

The ocean of dazzling blue appeared from beneath fluttering eyelids as the rays of the sun peaked in through the cracks in the shades drawn over the window. His muscles flexed as he wrapped his arm tighter around the figure next to him, just to reassure himself that this hadn't been a dream.

"Dude." A hoarse voice whispered.

Carefully pushing up onto his elbows as not to awaken the sleeping beauty, he saw a head poking in through the hotel room door. The head belonged to Armand, a sly smirk was playing on his lips as he tilted his head, eyes darting back and forth between Damon and the other person in the bed.

"What?" Damon hissed quietly, glancing down warily towards Elena.

"You get lucky?" Armand waggled his eyebrows.

Frustrated, Damon grabbed the circular pillow at the foot of the bed and threw it towards Armand, only to be reflected by the door. The giddy man standing at the door jumped back before poking his head through once again to mutter out a few words.

"Quit mumbling, El Toro. Normal people like me cannot understand your babble-talk." Damon carefully slid off of the bed, running his hand through his mess-of-hair as he walked towards the door in nothing, but his silk boxers.

Armand rolled his eyes, frowning, "Did you know that we had to sleep in the piece of crap camper last night cause you had the decency to lock the," His voice dropped down to a whisper, "fucking door. The receptionist was being a douche; I had to sneak the key from the board."

Damon shrugged his shoulders with a sly grin, resting his shoulder against the door, "Is there a reason you're here?"

Armand scoffed, "Dude, you and Markus just abandoned us at the most important dinner for your 'Mystery Girls'. Do ya know how hard it was to explain to-" He was cut off by Damon shoving him out of the doorway and shutting the door clear in his face. Shock was evident as he turned on his heel and stormed back to the camper waiting outside in the hotel parking lot.

"You ran out of time." Damon muttered beneath his breath before turning back towards the bed. His mouth fell open a bit to see Elena wide awake, sitting up in the bed with a genuine smile on her finely-curved lips.

"You didn't have to kick him out, you know." She purred, wrapping the sheets tighter around her as she tried to find her clothing once she made it out of the bed.

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "He gets annoying after a while, anyways." She let out a heart-warming giggle at that, almost making him melt at her feet.

* * *

Caroline purred as she snuggled in closer to the warmth next to her. She hadn't been this comfortable in months. Markus folded his arms behind his head, savoring the moment. Reality smacked her in the face as she pushed away momentarily before the memories of the day before came crashing down upon her.

Not realizing that she was awake, he began pouring his heart out, "I hope you know that you're stuck with me now," He smirked inwardly, "cause I am not ever going to let you slip away from me. I love you like the blades of grass love the sun's rays in the summer. I love you more than I love my mother, which, believe me, is a big deal."

Caroline bit her lip from breaking out into a fit of laughter. She had never met a man more honest that the one lying beside her.

Breaking out of the act of sleeping, she slid up to plant a small kiss on his cheek, nibbling on his ear before whispering, "I love you too."

Her breath against his skin sent shivers down his spine, making the blood rush south. Gripping her arms, he gently pushed her into the mattress as so he was on top, eyes burning with passion.

"I'm so glad I found you." He whispered. Before he could push another word through his lips, she darted forward, capturing his lips with hers.

When both needed to catch their breath, Caroline smiled, "Are you sure you're not a poet? That was quite a confession before." She waggled her eyebrows.

He sighed playfully, "You heard that?" She nodded before he pressed his erection into her center, making her feel how she was affecting him, and he huskily whispered, "Good."

* * *

_**Such a feelin's comin' over me**_

_**There is wonder in most everything I see**_

Elena's eyes were slightly widened in amazement, for every, single object, building, person she saw was uniquely different than the first time she laid her eyes on them. The effects of love was so foreign to her, she never experienced this with any other man she had dated.

Compared to Damon, they didn't even put up a competition. She shook her head at the thought before Damon grasped her hand with his, smiling down to her as they continued walking down the sidewalk. Where they were going, neither knew.

_**Not a cloud in the sky**_

_**Got the sun in my eyes**_

_**And I won't be surprised if it's a dream**_

It was almost as if Mother Nature knew that they were perfect, the golden couple, fit together like a puzzle. The sun shone down on the pair, Elena's hair glistening in the light as she smiled for some unknown reason. It was as if the two were high on each other's love. Her hand left a numbing feeling in his palm; he couldn't comprehend whether this was all a dream. Was the woman of his dreams really beside him?

_**Everything I want the world to be**_

_**Is now coming true especially for me**_

Bonnie smiled down to the phone in her hand in the hotel room she was forced to temporarily take residence in after Caroline came back with some guy. Reading the constant text messages from Jeremy, she frowned. God, how she missed him. A knock on the door drew her from her thoughts.

Walking towards the door, her phone still in hand, she opened it, receiving the shock of her life. Her entire body froze, dark eyes wide.

Jeremy smiled before eying her phone. Understanding, she brought the phone to in front of her to read the latest text she received from him:

_Surprise!_

Smiling gleefully, she leapt into his arms, showering his face in kisses as he walked inside the hotel room, kicking the door shut with his boot.

_**And the reason is clear**_

_**It's because you are here**_

_**You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen**_

Sighing in contentment, Bonnie hugged Jeremy closer to her body, wanting to savor this exact moment, file it away in her brain so she could forever remember. He placed his finger beneath her chin, lifting her face up to capture her lips with his.

_Yup_, she thought,_ this trip just got better._

_**I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation**_

_**And the only explanation I can find  
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around  
Your love's put me at the top of the world**_

Caroline ground her hips up against his, driving him absolutely nuts. The guttural groans from his throat were soft, his eyes shut as he enjoyed her actions.

Once her hand slipped beneath them, he gasped, eyes snapping open. Licking his lips, he grabbed her hand, clicking his tongue. "No time for that, my little minx." Caroline's giggles were cut short when he pushed her legs apart, gently placing the head of his erection against her folds.

She gasped before digging her fingers into his chestnut hair. Taking this as the green light, Markus thrust in, her head thrown back into the pillow from sheer delight. Both of their breaths became short and heavy as he picked up pace, her hips crashing to meet his.

"Ungh," He groaned as her inner walls began to tighten around him. Her lips parted to give a scream of pleasure as she climaxed. Not being able to hold out any longer, Markus came inside her, kissing her with passion.

_**Something in the wind has learned my name**_

_**And it's tellin' me that things are not the same**_

_**In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze**_

_**There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me**_

The wind swept through her hair as they reached the park. She felt so…in love.

Damon could clearly hear her stomach growling, "You hungry?" She nodded, biting her bottom lip. He searched the perimeters of the park before he spotted a hotdog vendor. Gripping her hand tighter, he dashed towards the stand, only stopping when he reached the cherry-cheeked man.

"Good mornin', sir. Ma'am." He tipped his fedora towards the two.

Catching his breath, Damon kindly asked, "May we have two franks, please?" The man nodded before setting to work.

Elena glanced up to see Damon smiling down to her, eyes shimmering. Blushing slightly, she directed her gaze back to the man who was handing them their hotdogs.

"There you are. That'll be six dollars." The man smirked towards her.

A little bit freaked out, Elena watched as Damon pulled out his leather wallet to hand the man exact change before thanking him. She breathed out a sigh of relief once they headed in the other direction, able to enjoy their food.

"How's yours?" He asked after he threw away the unwanted bits of his hotdog.

She shrugged her shoulders, tossing away the remnants, "Fine."

Damon gestured towards a bench, "Could we sit for a while? I need to talk to you." She nodded, slightly wary of what this conversation has to do with before sitting down on the bench.

He settled in next to her, slinging his arm around her shoulders. This was going to be a hard thing for him to talk about. He could feel her tensing as he tightened his grips on her shoulders, "Relax, Elena. It's nothing catastrophic." She hesitated before relaxing.

"We never got too far into the subject of our future," he paused, looking down to her to see she was watching the small children running around on the playground, "Elena."

She glanced up to him, "Yeah?"

He sighed, "I'm trying to talk to you about something serious."

She nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"As I was saying, we never got too far into the subject of our future. This kid is going to be here in a few months, and we aren't even together." He flinched, wishing he could rewind the last few words.

Elena tensed once again, eyebrows furrowing, "What do you mean 'we aren't even together'?" She pushed away from him, "What, was I just another one night stand, again?"

Damon shook his head, taking her hands in his, "No, that's not what I was trying to say. What I meant was that we aren't even married."

The anger flared down, her face softening, "And?"

He forced a cough before glancing around, "You know, maybe we should get hitched."

Elena frowned, taking his face in her hands to direct his eyes to hers, "Is that really your proposal?"

His eyes burned with passion, "Hell, Elena, you're the one. I wouldn't want to get married to anyone else." His hands snaked into hers, "So, what do you say?"

She playfully thought for a mere second before pulling away, "I'm not sure. I mean, I just met you. How am I supposed to-"

He cut her off, seemingly over confident, wrapping his arm around his shoulder to gaze with her at the small children on the playground, "I take that as a yes."

She couldn't help but wonder if she did get to answer, what she would have said.


	9. It's Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday

**A/N: Before I go any further, I want to say that I am scrapping the 10 chapter idea due to a change in the storyline. And this chapter will be written by my dear friend, Olivia since I am on bed rest from getting my appendix recently removed. **

Sorry for the wait. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Some of you have mentioned that it was fast for them to jump into marriage, which I was anticipating at least one of you to say. The answer to that will be in this chapter!

**Pretty please R&R and tell me how you like the new idea!**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**It's Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday**

* * *

Saying farewell is never easy, especially when it's people that they have grown to acknowledge as their friends. Friends are the pull that keeps them from jumping off the cliff of sanity into the whirling ocean of lunacy. Friends are the comforting hug when they feel like there is nothing to live for. Without friends, they would be lost. And here they are, saying farewell to their friends.

Damon closed the final drawer to his dresser with the heel of his boot, his arms full of clothing he brought for the trip. His eyes were beginning to ache from the amount of eye rolls he did in the last few minutes from his band mates' childish questions.  
Anthony was sat in the corner, arms crossed like a defiant toddler denied a new toy, "What about the band? Ever since that girl came into the picture, Serpenti was placed on the back burner," Damon glanced up, eyes narrowed, but before he could open his mouth to reply, Anthony continued, "It's like you just abandoned the one thing that you strived to succeed in."

Damon sighed, dropping his clothing into the opened suitcase placed on the bed. Leaning against the nearby wall, he kept his eyes trained on the floor, "I've already contacted Mickey. He's agreed to put the tour on hold with the exception that I fly to California every month for rehearsals and other events for a week."

Armand, who had entered the room with a cheap donut stuffed in his mouth, shook his head, "When will you be back," He paused, locking gazes with Damon, "for good?"

Damon jaw clenched, for they were acting as if Elena was like any other girl in the world, "I have obligations now. I'll be back when junior makes an appearance, but just know things won't be like they used to."

Both men before him, who had the wits of two year olds, tilted their heads.

Damon rolled his eyes, living with these imbeciles was a job on its own, "No more late nights of drinking or partying at clubs or sleeping around."

Anthony's eyes widened, clearly not comprehending, "I don't think I could handle that."

Armand nodded, "I get loopy without a case of beer and a girl every night."

Damon closed his eyes in frustration. He would never understand how these two haven't managed to get themselves killed with the utterly stupid things they said.

"For me. I'm talking about me." He shook his head as the two muttered oh's.

* * *

**The Female Trio…**

* * *

"Elena, please, just keep your eyes open wide with him." Bonnie warned as she sat cross-legged on Elena's bed.  
"Why would I-" Elena clamped her mouth shut before worrying, "You don't think he'll," she swallowed the knot in her throat, "cheat or leave us, do you?" She glanced frantically at her friend, hoping that she had the magical answer.

Bonnie's eyes grew cold, "Men like him are unpredictable."

Caroline kept an ear on the conversation from the kitchen, where she muttered beneath her breath, "Agreed."

Elena tensed, "Men like him?" Her bottom lip was between her teeth. She always seemed to be with the wrong guy.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie averted her gaze to the floor, "I don't want to worry you. Ugh, I'm being an awful friend." She took Elena's hand in hers, "In total honesty, I barely know the guy, so I wouldn't know."

The vivacious brunette relaxed. But even in a small moment of repose, the devil on her shoulder kept whispering. Her stomach did a somersault at the idea of him abandoning her and their child.

There was a good chance that he would, telling by the way he was so passionate about his career. Could she really ask him to give all of that up?

Her hand subconsciously rubbed her still-flat stomach. Bonnie glanced at her worriedly before Caroline called for her to come assist her in the kitchen. Her mind rewound back to one sentence that Bonnie rushed out. _'I barely know the guy, so I wouldn't know.'_

Elena felt her heart pick up pace. She barely knew him, yet she accepted his marriage proposal. What if he was an ex-convict? Or an abusive man? She shook her thoughts from her head because she knew now that she may never know these things. She was marrying a total stranger. How much more oblivious can she get?

Bringing her knee to rest beneath her chin, she quietly stormed up an idea.

* * *

Damon picked up his phone, holding it against his ear with his shoulder as he folded his costumes from a concert earlier that year. "Hello?" He fought with the zipper to the suitcase before managing to win, not without a few battle scars. He almost yelped into the receiver as the zipper dug into the skin on his thumb, bringing blood to the surface.

"Hey, Damon."

His mood immediately brightened, forgetting about the bleeding cut all together. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his three band mates fighting over the remote to the television, their voices growing louder.

He shook his head before walking out onto the balcony. The city was alive, cars speeding below as ant-sized people scurried to get to their desired location, all seemingly unaware that Damon was watching them from up and above. "Hello, kitten. Go out onto your balcony." He tapped his foot as he waited mere seconds before spotting her slipping out the sliding door. She smiled slightly, eyes twinkling in the bright sunshine before hanging up, as did he.

"I've been thinking." She began. Damon was entranced by how her skin had a beautiful glow to it. The way her angel-crafted lips moved when she talked had him drooling. How could a woman affect him this profoundly?

He rested his chin in his hand when he placed his elbow on the railing, wishing he could wrap his arms around her. "Oh, really? What about?"

She flashed a nervous smile before stepping towards the railing to sit in the chair placed there. "About how we barely know each other."

Damon was about to object when he found that his argument would hold no water whatsoever. His mouth opened like a fish before snapping shut.

Seeing his hesitation, she quickly said, "So I was thinking that we get to know each other over a few dinners once we're in New York. Take some time to act like we're two people who are meeting for the first time."

Damon frowned knowing all too well what that meant; no staying over each other's places, which was also packaged together with no sex. He groaned, knowing this was going to be a long journey.

He was a man with a small list of needs; alcohol in his hand, a girl by his side, and sex. Screw the common necessities. As long as he had those three things, he was content.

* * *

After minutes of hugging and tears, Elena reassured her small group of friends that she would see them in New York in a couple of days, seeing as they couldn't stay in North Las Vegas forever. After making a short trip to one of the airport stores, she handed Caroline a small make-up kit for the smears of mascara that covered her cheeks. Caroline blushed slightly before rushing to the bathroom to apply the make-up.

Bonnie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, "So… Jeremy and I will be staying here for another week," She saw her friend frown and was quick to insert, "But we'll be back as soon as the week is up."

Elena smiled, showing the world her pearly whites before enveloping her into a hug, whispering, "Just have fun."

A strangled sob turned laugh escaped her throat as she clung to her friend, not wanting this moment to end. Sadly, the two pulled apart, Elena walking after Damon. With a broken smile, Bonnie turned around, beginning the small walk back to her car with Caroline, only looking over her shoulder when she heard a voice call out.

"Bonnie! Caroline!" She turned around, seeing Elena trying her best to smile, "Iway ovelay youway uysgay." Her mouth twisted into a grin before turning back around to board the plane.

Caroline let out a chuckle at the Pig Latin form of 'I love you guys'. She still remembered after all those years ago in that small tree house behind Caroline's home. Bonnie smiled, her eyes glazing over, small tears prickling her eyes before glancing over to her friend. "God, I miss being a kid."

Caroline giggled before grabbing Bonnie's arm, "Agreed."

* * *

The plane ride consisted of nausea and grumbling from not only fellow passengers, but Damon. He didn't get a wink of sleep from Elena going back and forth between her seat and the bathroom. Most passengers on the plane took to the idea that they should steer clear from that one restroom in the back from the odor of her constant regurgitation.

Damon rubbed his temples after her umpteenth trip to the bathroom, letting the stewardesses, who took pity on her, help her back there. Stumbling back to her seat, she gave a tired half-smile to the tired Damon before settling into the first-class seat.

Just as he was falling into the thin layer of the dream world, her voice cut through, "We're landing soon."

His eyes snapped open, red by this time. With a huff, he nodded, giving up on the idea of sleep altogether. Instead, he turned to his left to look out the window. The stars were peeking through the thin layers of marshmallow clouds as they flew past at a seemingly slow pace.

He could remember his childhood when his father would make a rare appearance at home long before the clock struck midnight. The maid rushed into his room, curtly announcing that his father would arrive home at any moment. He rushed down the staircase, lining up beside his younger brother, anticipating the arrival of their father.

The butlers with their ironed suits and thin-lined mouths lined on the left of the room, while the maids in their proper black-and-white attire and liberal smiles were lined on the right of the room.

The door opened to reveal a tall figure with cropped, dark blonde, graying hair in a suit, the tie long-since thrown into his suitcase. His lips were drawn downward into a deep frown as his eyes skimmed the room, finally stopping on the two boys in the center, one with raven hair, the other with his father's locks, both wearing their nightwear.

He snickered at the eldest child, once beaming with a smile now turned into a frown at his father's disapproval of him. When his father's eyes locked onto his younger brother's face, he smiled, walking towards the young boy before taking his hand and guiding him towards the backyard where they would gaze at the stars and chat. The raven-haired child was left shattered, eyes dropped to the floor as small tears rolled down his cheeks.

He tried his hardest to obey and get his father's approval to no avail. He would always be the child of remembrance of the mother he could never remember. The child that his father despised simply because he had inherited his mother's looks. This left Damon feeling unwanted by the world. And that led him to trying to find things that would get underneath his father's skin, make him want to say that he hated him with every fiber in his body.

That day came when Damon was sixteen. He had recently discovered the world of rock and roll, listening to every CD of every band he could find, blasting it from his speakers within his room. This built on top of the fact that he had quit his job crawled over his father's skin, since Stefan was too 'fragile' to have a hard labor job. His father seethed downstairs until he burst through the bedroom door, taking his glass that once held liquor and threw it across the room, shattering it against the wall. Inside Damon smirked, knowing he had finally picked his way through the brick wall his father had built and now, he was going to bring it crumbling down.

His father was later arrested as Damon watched on, his bottom lip split and bleeding profusely, left eye swollen, black and blue imprinted across his face and stomach. His brother had sworn to never talk to him again, which Damon was grateful for, and watched as Stefan stormed out of the house and into their uncle's car. Of course, Uncle Alfonso wanted nothing to do with Damon after the incident, but his wife, bless her soul, loved Damon with all her heart and wired him cash frequently. She even sponsored his band when he told her about how he met up with these three guys from his neighborhood.

And everything launched from there; an eighteen-year-old thrown into the world of music, dedicating five years of his life with touring bars and various venues.

But every time he glanced up to those stars, he wondered where in the world his bastard father and suck-up brother must be. He hoped his father was dead, but could wish no such thing upon his brother.

Elena glanced over to him, seeing that he must be in his own world. Taking the blankets that the stewardess handed her, she rested one on his lap, effectively snapping him out of his trance.

"Thanks." He muttered before adjusting the blanket to cover most of his legs.

New York City didn't seem to change a bit to neither of the two. Once the two hailed their own cabs, they gave a parting, awkward hug before setting off to their respective apartments.

Elena was greeted with a gush of cool air as soon as she stepped foot into her apartment. She closed her eyes, savoring the light breeze as it brushed against her cheeks. She smiled before making her way to her room, releasing the handle to her suitcase and plopping onto the bed after calling the ballet company to say that she would be taking a maternity leave as soon as possible. She missed her old, creaky bed because it was the most comforting mattress in the world, to her.

* * *

Days passed before the two had a brief conversation over the phone, exchanging details of when and where their first date would be held. It felt awkward for Elena to be wearing the engagement ring that Damon had sent to her, via the mail. She had rolled her eyes when she received it from her mailman, knowing how un-romantic it was for him to do that. Stuffed beside the ring was a letter in which he had briefly told her that their first date is to be the most romantic of all. She had blushed at those words, resulting in another eye roll on her part.

There she stood in front of her apartment building, tapping her high-heeled shoe impatiently. She immediately regretted wearing the shoes, since her doctor had informed her that it wouldn't be safe to wear them down the road. Her ankles were beginning to ache, not to mention the throbbing pain in her lower back. Waiting close to thirty minutes after the supposed time her white knight was to pick her up has had a profound negative reaction from her. With a huff, she spun around, scrapping the idea that he was going to show up.

Whipping open the door with such fury even the doorman stepped back a few, she was stopped in her path by a hand on her shoulder. She spun around in ire, only to be put to rest when she saw the devilishly handsome man before her.

"Good evening, milady." He said, bowing a bit.

Her rage bubbled over the pot when she clipped his shoulder with her fist, "You're late."

He shrugged his shoulders, wincing when a dull pain shot through him, "Calm yourself. Wouldn't want to spoil the night, now do you?"

She visibly calmed, the slight wrinkles in her forehead disappearing, "Where are we going?"

He shook his head, "Ah, ah, ah, that's a surprise." His eyes shifted to her left hand, finding that she hadn't worn the ring. He frowned momentarily before replacing it with a smirk. "After you, milady." He gestured towards a sports car parked in front of the building.

She was about to bark back a rude comment before she settled her eyes on the sight before her. This car put hers to shame.

She sighed, "Is that what I think it is?"

Damon glanced over from opening the passenger door for her, confusion etched into the features of his face before realizing what she was asking. He waggled his eyebrows as a smile took over his features, "Ferrari 458 Italia." She was in visible shock as she walked towards the car, gently running her fingers down the side before stepping into the exotic sports car.

He shut her door, a chuckle rumbling from within from her reaction, as well as the others from the various pedestrians gawking in awe. Getting into his seat, he glanced over to her, "What, didn't think I had mucho dinero?"

She kept staring at the dashboard before managing out, "Hell no. Telling by the camper your band tours in."

He laughed, thinking back to when Mickey had first rolled up in the piece of crap. Turning the key in the ignition, the car roared to life, "Yeah, Mickey's a cheap son of a bitch." Elena let out a nervous giggle, which she almost never does, while running a single hand through her hair.

* * *

It was the critically-acclaimed, high-end restaurant, Avec Amour. Elena had heard the rants and raves about the eatery, besides a man who had gone by himself and commented on how lovey-dovey it was.

She sighed in awe as they stepped inside, her hand intertwined with his. He spoke fluent French to the seating waitress before they were guided to a private area outside. Glancing down to her, he waggled his eyebrows, whispering, "I told you this would be an unforgettable date." She rolled her eyes, having not seen what he was talking about just yet.

The waitress leaned in to whisper something into his ear, a smile on her face. Damon told Elena that he would be right back, leaving her standing by closed doors that led outside. A rush of jealousy shot through her when she thought about why she was smiling, what they were talking about, and what they were doing if not talking. She shivered at the thought of him having more than one woman in his life.

Her face grew red before she wiped the angry expression off of her face as soon as he stepped back beside her. "Right this way, mon amour."

Elena blushed at his French before walking out the now open doors. She stilled once she caught sight of the lone table, set up romantically on a large balcony with a stunning view of the city. She tried to fish around for the right words before Damon gave her a pointed look, "No need for words, kitten. Take a seat." He gestured towards the wooden chair pulled out for her, him standing directly behind it to push it back in.

Once both were situated, she finally realized that they weren't exactly alone. Two violinists were softly playing in the corner, smiles gracing their features. She felt the eye roll itching to be presented by how cheesy, yet romantic this is. She never would've pinned Damon Salvatore, rock star, to be the romantic type of guy.

He handed her a menu, "Anything you want."

She nodded before skimming the menu, eyes bulging at the prices, "There's nothing here under a hundred dollars!"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Still think I don't have mucho dinero?" She giggled, wanting to face palm herself for doing it again. Elena Gilbert rarely giggles.

After a waiter took their orders, Damon seemed slightly reddened by the fact that the waiter was a male. If she knew the reason why he was reddened in the cheeks, she would've laughed out loud. Good thing she never asked.

Deciding to strike up a conversation, she began, "So, Damon, what do you do for a living?"

He was taken aback before realizing that this was supposed to be their first date, "Oh, ugh, I'm a singer in a band."

She seemingly brightened up, "Really, what's the name of the band?"

"Serpenti."  
She smiled before adjusting her napkin on her lap, "Does that mean anything?"

He returned the smile, loving how she was acting so innocent, "Serpent, it means serpent."

She face palmed herself before chuckling, "Man, that was obvious."

* * *

Placed in front of the two were the most extravagant dinners either had laid eyes on. Damon swirled his fork around the noodles in his plate of spaghetti with seared king scallops and truffle cream sauce. Elena practically inhaled her jumbo wonton soup with barbecue pork, savoring the taste as it glided across her tongue.

Once both were finished and the bill had been paid, Damon took Elena's hand, whisking her away to his car. He drove four miles to the closest beach, all the while ignoring her questions of where they were heading to.

Taking her hand once again, they walked down to the edge of the ocean, their shoes long since taken off. The pads of her feet were being tickled with each small wave that washed up, her hand clasped in Damon's. He closed his eyes momentarily as they ventured on down the stretch of sand, never wanting to forget this moment.

When the sun had set and the pair was equally tired, Damon led Elena back to his car where he drove them back to the city, glancing to her for as long as he could before directing his gaze back to the streets before him.

As much as they wanted to spend the rest of the night and morning together in each other's embrace, the Ferrari stopped in front of her apartment building, ending the silence that once filled the car.

"As much as I want to wrap my arms around you and spend the night together," His eyes visibly darkened, "I must respect your decision to get to know one another."

She smiled, gripping the handle to the door, "Thank you, Damon. We should do this again sometime."

He nodded, watching her step out. Before she could close the door, he leaned over, struggling with the seat belt to place his hand on her still-flat stomach, "Take care of both you, okay, Elena? I wouldn't be able to live if I lost either of you." Keeping his hand resting there for a second longer, he pulled back, allowing her to shut the door with a beaming smile on her features.

He made sure she got inside the building safely before pulling away, ease washing over him.

Elena closed the door to her apartment, feeling like she was currently situated on cloud nine. Everything felt perfect. Walking towards the kitchen table, she picked up the opened package, dove her hand inside before pulling out. With care, she placed the beautiful engagement ring on her finger while gingerly placing her other hand on her stomach. Inside, she hoped she would never have to take the ring off.

* * *

**A/N: How did you guys like it? I hope you guys like the new idea I have stormed up, since they just jumped right into engagement. Reviews help the writing process!**

**Sneak Peek into the next chapter:**

**Elena felt like her heartstrings were being violently tugged. This was absolutely killing her. The tears threatened to fall as she clenched her hands into fists, not being able to bear this any longer. She shut her eyes, wishing that her confidants, Bonnie and Caroline, were here, comforting her. But she could only wish upon a star, for they still had three more days until they returned to New York.**


	10. Violet Hill

**A/N: Hey guys! I'll (Olivia) be writing the chapter again, upon my insistence that Emily take time to rest. Don't fret; she'll be back with rejuvenated strength in no time!**

**Hope you guys enjoy! And the next few chapters will be mostly focused on Delena, not that much Beremy nor Markus/Caroline. **

* * *

**Previously…**

"As much as I want to wrap my arms around you and spend the night together," His eyes visibly darkened, "I must respect your decision to get to know one another."

She smiled, gripping the handle to the door, "Thank you, Damon. We should do this again sometime."

He nodded, watching her step out. Before she could close the door, he leaned over, struggling with the seat belt to place his hand on her still-flat stomach, "Take care of both you, okay, Elena? I wouldn't be able to live if I lost either of you." Keeping his hand resting there for a second longer, he pulled back, allowing her to shut the door with a beaming smile on her features.

He made sure she got inside the building safely before pulling away, ease washing over him.

Elena closed the door to her apartment, feeling like she was currently situated on cloud nine. Everything felt perfect. Walking towards the kitchen table, she picked up the opened package, dove her hand inside before pulling out. With care, she placed the beautiful engagement ring on her finger while gingerly placing her other hand on her stomach. Inside, she hoped she would never have to take the ring off.

* * *

The sun had long-since risen, drawing Elena awake. She walked around her apartment, a small smile gracing her features. She felt like she was walking around on cloud nine, as two nights ago after her date with Damon. The past two days were a blur to her, doing the everyday tasks; grocery shopping, purchasing neutral-gender baby clothing, taking strolls around the park.

Damon and her hadn't had another date, but she was content with the thought that they would work out another day for their future date. Walking towards the fridge, she grabbed the milk and hastily poured it into a cup. She had her entire day planned out, and nothing was to be pushed back due to her being slow in the morning, so she picked up her usual pace. Downing the milk, she tossed a few granola bars into her purse before grabbing her keys by the front door.

It hadn't occurred to her that she had forgotten one task. She stopped dead in her tracks, quickly rolled her eyes before scurrying off to her room to get quickly changed as she was currently in her pajamas.

She had done this for the past two days, going as far as actually getting inside the elevator down the hall before the woman standing beside her pointed out that she was still in her nightwear.

You could say that this was a tell-tale sign of falling head-over-heels in love with a guy. Even Elena's aunt Jenna had pointed it out during their conversation over the phone.

"Honey, you need to get your mind on track." Jenna had warned her. She didn't want her niece risking the life of her unborn child.

Elena had bit her bottom lip before muttering, "I know. I've just been…" She trailed off, dreamily and suddenly remembering the reason why she's been so distracted.

Her aunt grew impatient and worried, "Elena. Snap out of it. I won't have you losing your baby simply because you've fallen hard for a man."

Elena had blushed crimson, even if her aunt was in Virginia. How could she know when Elena hadn't mentioned a word of Damon? It must be those maternal instincts those books Jenna had sent were talking about. She was beginning to grow agitated that she hadn't felt those feelings yet.

Rushing out of her room, Elena once again grabbed her purse in which she had left by the front door in her hurry to get to her room and walked out of the apartment. She placed the granola bar she was munching on into her mouth to jab at the elevator button, shifting her briefcase to her other hand before patiently waiting for the elevator doors to open.

It took longer than usual, Elena mused before stepping inside the now-open elevator. She courteously smiled to the elderly woman wrapped in fox fur. She nearly gagged when she caught sight of the fur around her neck, for she didn't believe in having to kill animals for mere clothing.

The woman sneered inwardly before returning the smile, pointedly giving a glare that read 'do not try to make conversation with me'. Elena gladly respected her privacy, giving a small nod in recognition of her glare before pressing the lobby button. She could see from her peripheral vision that the woman clearly took a step back as Elena stretched her arm across her. She scoffed at this before straightening her back, watching the numbers count down the floors.

She sighed a breath of relief as the doors opened, taking one step forward before being halted by the woman rudely pushing past her without a glance back to apologize for elbowing Elena in the ribs.

With a roll of her eyes once again that day, she walked out into the lobby.

* * *

"I see you are well, Ms. Gilbert." Came the uncouth, French tone of Valene Parét. Her high-pitched voice always reminded Elena of nails being dragged on a blackboard. It not only hurt her eardrums, but her nerves would get totally out of whack whenever she talked.

Elena nodded with a forced smile before taking a seat across from Valene at the café, French Bean. She placed the briefcase on the table, "Nice to see you too, Ms. Parét."

Valene waved her hand, "Nonsense. We are out of the theater, call me Valene."

Elena nodded, wanting so badly to swat her waving hand away from her face. The waitress took their orders, bringing back the water and coffee.

Valene eyed up her water questioningly, "You not like coffee?" She smiled at her foolishness, "Ah, yes, you are having a little one. It must have slipped my mind."

_Not the first time something 'slipped your mind'. _Elena smiled weakly before taking a small sip of her water, not wanting to beckon the morning sickness. She didn't want to bring up the reason why they were meeting, since Valene despised when someone did just that.

Valene straightened her back from taking a gulp of her black coffee.

_Black like her soul_, Elena mused with an inward smirk.

"You have the papers, yes?" She asked, one eyebrow raised.

Elena nodded, gesturing towards the briefcase as she took another sip of her water. Valene stared at her, not even breaking away to glance at the briefcase. She was obviously waiting for her to open it up. Elena felt the urge to smack her, but she really needed this job, unfortunately.

Wiping her hands off on the napkin from the drops of water that had fallen off of the glass, she brought the briefcase to her lap and jabbed in the code. The case opened with a definite 'pop' before she reached in to retrieve the papers. She handed them to Valene, all the while explaining, "Bonnie wrote down the entire set-up for the Dark Veil, including the estimated pricing for the tickets," Elena placed the two dollars for her water before standing up, "If that is all that you need, I will be leaving. Good day, Valene." On second thought, she mused, grabbing the money she had left, knowing that the director would sneak it into her purse.

Valene grabbed her arm as she was about to brush past her, looking up into her eyes, "You know, I should promote you. You've been with this company for eight-"

"Ten years, Valene." Elena corrected, feeling the eye rolls itching.

Valene huffed, clearly annoyed by being cut off, "Ten years, yes, and you have put forth your best effort, bringing in crowds this theater has never seen. You and your friends…" She bit her lip, trying to remember their names as well.

Not being able to hold it in much longer, she rolled her eyes, "Bonnie and Caroline."

"Yes, Bonnie and Caroline. They shall be promoted as well. Clearly Mr. Briggs has taken a liking to you three." Valene flashed a malicious smile, knowing that something happened in North Las Vegas.

Elena nodded, pulling her arm away from her grasp before continuing out the gated pavilion of the café. She made her way towards the abandoned cash register, tapping her foot in impatience. While waiting, she stole a few glances around at the surrounding eateries. Her gaze brushed past a crowd gathered at an outside watering hole, cheering on someone, maybe even something.

Her fingers kept ringing the bell placed on the counter, momentarily transfixed by the sight of the overly-crowded group across the street.

"Miss?" Came a male voice, quite youthful indeed.

Elena spun around, eyes questioning.

His eyes darted towards her hand which was still unconsciously ringing the bell, "I'm going to have to ask you to release the bell, ma'am."

She gaped in surprise, not even realizing she had been doing that before hastily removing her hand from the bell. Her cheeks brightened, "Sorry." She gave an innocent smile before handing him the two dollars, "I was going to leave this on the table for the waitress, but I don't really trust the woman I was sitting with."

The man chuckled, nodding in understanding before taking the money, "Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day." His eyes darted up from the cash register to meet hers. Green collided with brown in that one moment before Elena tugged her gaze away.

"You too." She smiled once more before turning on her heels to walk out of the café, scolding herself for looking too long into his eyes. He couldn't have been more than sixteen, yet his eyes gave way to a soul much older than appearances.

Out of pure curiosity, she made her way towards the pub across the street, careful to watch for any passing cars. Fortunately, she made it across in one piece, and just in time to see the crowd slightly part. She pushed her way through, wanting to see what the buzz was all about.

Once she made it to the front of the crowd, she could see a raven-haired man sitting beside a hyper-active blonde, obviously dyed. Elena craned her neck to try to catch a glimpse of their faces, but found it impossible with the growing crowd.

The mass shouted a countdown before reaching one, and Elena watched with bated breath as both people sitting on the stools placed before the bar, hurriedly picked up the shot glasses, downed them, and bit into lemons. Elena nearly gagged when they spit them out, catching the strong scent of the lemons.

Her breath hitched as they turned towards each other, bringing their lips together for a heated kiss. She nearly collapsed right then and there once she saw the face of the raven-haired man. Her face completely blanched as his hands were all over her, deepening the kiss.

So this is why we haven't gone on a date in the past days, she thought with tears pooling in her eyes. In white hot anger, Elena turned on her heel, forcefully pushing through the crowd as various men whistled them on. She couldn't take any more of this, her heart was currently nestled beside her stomach which was churning at the thought of him and that blonde.

Feeling the strong urge overcome her, she rushed towards the closest garbage bin, regurgitating what little breakfast she had managed to swallow down. As she wiped her mouth on her sleeve, she felt her head become fuzzy. Deciding to ignore the feeling, she picked up pace into a jog back to her apartment only a few blocks away.

* * *

Elena sat on her couch, sobbing to the normally-relaxing movie of Belle Epoque. She couldn't pinpoint when in the film she had begun balling her eyes out, since the film was in Spanish, which she understood thanks to classes upon classes in high school.

How could she have been so foolish as to believe that he would want to actually marry her. The guy barely even proposed. _"You know, maybe we should get hitched." _Yeah, that sounds legit. Not.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling the sudden urge to punch someone, just release all of this pent-up anger. Her mind reeled trying to figure out how a woman like herself, one who was always prepared for the floor to fall out beneath her plans, could let this man slip under radar.

She scolded herself yet again for the umpteenth time since leaving that hell-hole bar. All she wanted to do was make him feel the utter pain she was currently enduring. Hell, this was probably not only hurting her heart, but somehow putting a strain on her baby and their growth.

Her body stiffened at the thought. How could he? She bit her bottom lip before struggling to get off of the couch, but failing miserably at doing so. She couldn't believe that had never asked where he was staying. If she had these details, she could begin plotting her revenge. She could have had him in the palm of her hand if she hadn't been such a klutz.

Elena felt like her heartstrings were being violently tugged. This was absolutely killing her. The tears threatened to fall as she clenched her hands into fists, not being able to bear this any longer. She shut her eyes, wishing that her confidants, Bonnie and Caroline, were here, comforting her. But she could only wish upon a star, for they still had three more days until they returned to New York.

Breathing deeply, Elena pulled out her phone, flipping through her recent calls. She scoffed, realizing the last time Damon ever contacted her was four days ago. Finding his number, she clicked the send button and pressed the phone to her ear. The dial tone kept ringing…and ringing.

Finally, she was listening to his voicemail, wanting so badly to just scream at the sound of his voice. Once the beating indicating her to begin saying her message sounded, she took a sharp inhale of breath before beginning, "You know what, Damon?" Her lips curled upwards into a malicious smile, "I am so better off without you. I will _not_ be one of those girls who lose their self-respect and cry forever over some stupid guy that clearly does not know how to stay faithful. Goodbye."

She forcefully ended the call before slumping back against the couch, biting back the tears. Her eyes burned like hell thanks to the tears, but she was keeping true to her word. Elena Gilbert was not going to cry forever over some guy who clearly does not have a heart. Her mind thought back to each of their conversations, quickly realizing that he never said 'I love you' even once.

The anger within her bubbled dangerously. Turning the film back on, she calmed herself down with breathing techniques she learned while she was prima ballerina in the ballet company. Fortunately, she elevated her emotions, watching the rest of the film without shedding a single tear.

* * *

The day wore on, seemingly innocent to the frowns of the brunette below, curled up on her couch, watching film after film. It was close to midnight when the phone rang. She lifted her head up off of the couch cushion, hair in all directions. Struggling off of the couch, she shuffled her bunny slippers across the floor until she reached the small island in the middle of the kitchen. With sluggish movements, she picked up the receiver, bringing it to her ear, only to move it away from the loud voice on the other end.

"Elenaaaaa!"

Elena brought the phone back to her ear, "What? Who is this?"

The voice paused, drawing in a much needed breath after the long drawl of Elena's name, "It's Care-Care."

Elena chuckled at the nickname Caroline hated, "Hey, Caroline. You alright?"

Caroline shifted on the mattress, suddenly disliking where she was lying, "What? I can't hear you over the fan." She glanced up to the near-silent fan, shrugging her shoulders.

Elena rolled her eyes, "Are you okay?"

Caroline rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, "Mar-velous."

The brunette face-palmed herself, knowing something was up with her friend. She would get the answer out one way or another, later. Right now, she just wanted to rest her head on her pillow and fall into a deep sleep where there was no raven-haired monster to break her heart further. "Good night, Care." She chuckled, her voice concealing the hurt.

Caroline pouted before jumping up suddenly, "Wait! Wait wait wait!" She paused to catch her breath, "You won't believe what I got the tyke!"

Elena tilted her head in both amusement and anticipation of what she bought, "What?"

Caroline looked over towards the article of clothing placed gently on her dresser, "It's a onesie. But get this, it has three sleeves, 'cause you know, you never know if it might come out with three arms." She giggled at this, hearing her friend burst out laughing.

"Oh God, Care, I love you." She tried her best to contain her laughter.

"Love ya too." Caroline smiled, missing her friend like crazy.

"I'll talk to you soon. Good night." Elena smirked before hanging up, so glad that she still had her friends to distract her from the heartbreak she had encountered. Plus, she really wanted to lay eyes on that onesie.

* * *

**A/N: Damon's acting up again. :( **

**Reviews help the writing process!**

**Sneak Peek into the next chapter:**

**Elena felt strong, not used like she felt the other day, but femininely strong. She felt like she was on top of the world, by herself. The persistent ringing of her cellphone on the kitchen counter brought her tumbling out of her thoughts. Walking towards counter, she picked up her phone, not recognizing the number immediately. She clicked the send button before placing the phone on her ear, "Hello?"**

**There was a brief pause, and the sound of a clearing of the throat, "Elena, I-I…"**

**Elena bit her tongue, trying to bite back to the screams she wanted so badly to blast into the phone, "What?" She snapped.**

"**Why?" Was the simple answer she received back. **


	11. Return to Innocence Part I

**A/N: THIS WILL BE A FILLER CHAPTER DUE TO HAVING TO WORK ON MY NOVEL! Hola my fellow readers, I am finally back from a much-needed rest! My computer was a pain in the ass the past week; letting me log-in only to have it log me out seconds later. Maybe it likes messing with my head, who knows? So anyways, this chapter has been sitting on my computer for the past eight days, waiting to be published, looking at me with pleading eyes. **

**I hope you guys are as excited as I am about the new characters that will be introduced this chapter. They aren't my creation, of course. **

**Disclaimer ('Cause everyone just loves those repudiations): Even against my most vivid dreams, I unfortunately do not own Vampire Diaries, nor any of the characters tagged along with the show, sadly. If I did, Delena would have happened a long time ago… and Stefan would have been dead-dead already. Seriously, the man is a total bore.**

**Now, on with the show…**

**AND I HAVE ALSO EDITED THIS CHAPTER! Seems some people don't get what I was trying to say in my first update. :/  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven (Part I):**

**Return to Innocence**

* * *

**Previously…**

The mass shouted a countdown before reaching one, and Elena watched with bated breath as both people sitting on the stools placed before the bar, hurriedly picked up the shot glasses, downed them, and bit into lemons. Elena nearly gagged when they spit them out, catching the strong scent of the lemons.

Her breath hitched as they turned towards each other, bringing their lips together for a heated kiss. She nearly collapsed right then and there once she saw the face of the raven-haired man. Her face completely blanched as his hands were all over her, deepening the kiss.

So this is why we haven't gone on a date in the past days, she thought with tears pooling in her eyes. In white hot anger, Elena turned on her heel, forcefully pushing through the crowd as various men whistled them on. She couldn't take any more of this, her heart was currently nestled beside her stomach which was churning at the thought of him and that blonde.

* * *

Snuggled up on the couch, the phone calls from Damon went unanswered. Only did she answer her cell when Caroline had called, confirming the time of when they should arrive home from the airport. Bonnie had sent a few messages, informing her that she would be bringing a friend to New York, which Elena was totally fine with.

She missed her mother, missed how she would hold her when Elena felt like the world was falling down upon her. But her mother was stuck in Virginia, beneath a mound of dirt that had been lying on top of her for the past four years, the only means of identifying the body beneath being the headstone with her name pristinely carved. Biting back the growing tears, she stood to her feet, clicked off the _Six Feet Under _marathon and made her way towards the panel of windows.

She had felt blessed with the perfect view of the tallest towers in the city as well as Madison Square Garden if anyone were to stand on their tippy-toes. But now, it was just a reminder of who she used to be; a spunky, wild card. And now, what was she? Nothing but a serious, single, mom-to-be. In a city full of serious, single, moms-to-be.

She wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes to imagine that her skin was absorbing the sunset far off in the distance, reflecting off of each tower with its dimming rays. Soon the beautiful sight of the full moon would grace the skies, settling her nerves as it always did. She felt the opposite of that of what a werewolf would feel which would be utter panic as soon as the moon appeared. No, she felt the polar opposite of that; utter calm and peace.

An hour dragged by, and there she stood in front of the panel of windows, gazing up to the dark blue sky, the moon slightly dimmed, but clear as day. Its light shone into the apartment, eating up each nook and cranny, leaving nothing bare but her back facing the inside. A hand was rested on her stomach, the other wrapped firmly around her upper waist. The whole while she imagined it being that blue-eyed, raven-haired monster who just happened to be the father of the child nestled in her womb.

With a long, drawn-out sigh, she turned around, her back gulping up the moonlight as she walked towards her bedroom. As she passed her phone which was set on silent, she could see the screen lit up, a small bubble at the bottom reading, '18 Missed Calls' as another incoming call filled up the screen. With hesitation, she lifted the phone off of the coffee table, seeing the number appearing as 'unknown'. Placing the phone to her ear, she accepted the call, "Hello?"

There was a brief pause, and the sound of a clearing of the throat, "Elena, I-I…" She pulled the phone back, glaring at in disbelief and anger as if it had betrayed her to the devil himself.

Elena gnashed her teeth, the surge of anger coursing through her veins before she barked back, cutting him off abruptly, "What?" She glared at a spot on the carpet, hoping he would apparate (**Harry Potter reference**) there and she could scream at him until her lungs exploded.

"Why," Was the simple question she received back.

She honestly wanted to slap the hell out of him for asking that. A simple question, yet so, so stupid. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Her hormones began to kick in, "You're honestly going to play the innocence card when I witnessed you kissing that fucking blonde!"

There was silence on the other end before he burst into laughter.

Elena fumed, having to breathe through her nose rapidly to calm herself. Too much stress could harm her baby. "Are you seriously _laughing_? Do you find this somehow _amusing_?" Her voice was laced with venom, immediately shutting him up. She smirked maliciously, itching to cross her arms but finding it impossible with having to have one hand pressed to the phone.

He cleared his throat once again, swallowing the chuckles, "That blonde was Lexi, my only childhood friend. She was friends with Stefan, but then he-"

Her eyes flashed dangerously, "I don't give a fuck if she's an 'old childhood friend'. Why the hell were you kissing her, hm?"

"It was a dare, plus the fact that she wanted to make her ex insanely jealous," He couldn't help the chuckle that ran up his throat.

Elena's eyebrows shot up as her jaw flew down, her cheeks reddening with anger. Ah, hell, she thought. "God, you are such an asshole! That shouldn't have mattered; you should've said no!" Without a second thought, she ended the call, wanting to cease any further stress. With cherry cheeks, she ran to her bed, pulling the covers over her head in hopes of never having to hear from him again.

After all, she had helped Caroline make Tyler Lockwood, now a big-time lawyer in upstate New York, jealous beyond belief by forcing Matt Donovan, longtime friend, to kiss her directly in his viewpoint. Of course, they got back together, lived happily for two weeks before breaking it off. Yeah, what a waste of a relationship. But still, it doesn't make it right. At all.

As the voice of sleep lulled her into its world, she dreamed of what could possibly happen when she faced those impossibly-blue eyes again. Maybe give him a good smack across the face. Oh, the possibilities.


	12. Return to Innocence Part II

**A/N: Nope, I have no excuse for the tardiness…except for a wee one; my husband and I will be welcoming a little one into the world around July. Gosh, I feel so excited! **

**Anyways, I have major plans for this story as well as future ones [keep a look out for While You Were Sleeping], so stay tuned.**

**Pretty please read and review.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven (Part II):**

**Return to Innocence**

* * *

**Previously…**

_She honestly wanted to slap the hell out of him for asking that. A simple question, yet so, so stupid. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Her hormones began to kick in, "You're honestly going to play the innocence card when I witnessed you kissing that fucking blonde!"_

_Elena fumed, having to breathe through her nose rapidly to calm herself. Too much stress could harm her baby. "Are you seriously laughing? Do you find this somehow amusing?" Her voice was laced with venom, immediately shutting him up. She smirked maliciously, itching to cross her arms but finding it impossible with having to have one hand pressed to the phone._

_He cleared his throat once again, swallowing the chuckles, "That blonde was Lexi, my only childhood friend. She was friends with Stefan, but then he-"_

_Her eyes flashed dangerously, "I don't give a fuck if she's an 'old childhood friend'. Why the hell were you kissing her, hm?"_

_"It was a dare, plus the fact that she wanted to make her ex insanely jealous," He couldn't help the chuckle that ran up his throat._

_Elena's eyebrows shot up as her jaw flew down, her cheeks reddening with anger. Ah, hell, she thought. "God, you are such an asshole! That shouldn't have mattered; you should've said no!" Without a second thought, she ended the call, wanting to cease any further stress. With cherry cheeks, she ran to her bed, pulling the covers over her head in hopes of never having to hear from him again._

_After all, she had helped Caroline make Tyler Lockwood, now a big-time lawyer in upstate New York, jealous beyond belief by forcing Matt Donovan, longtime friend, to kiss her directly in his viewpoint. Of course, they got back together, lived happily for two weeks before breaking it off. Yeah, what a waste of a relationship. But still, it doesn't make it right. At all._

_As the voice of sleep lulled her into its world, she dreamed of what could possibly happen when she faced those impossibly-blue eyes again. Maybe give him a good smack across the face. Oh, the possibilities._

* * *

Tugging on the ends of the chocolate strands of hair, her hands visibly shaking, Elena seemed slightly hunched as she walked down the long stretch of sidewalk. Her strides were short coming upon the restaurant where she was to meet her confidants. _"Don't do you dare be late, missy!" _Caroline had screeched into the phone earlier directly after stepping off of the plane.

Seems the brunette was rather not in a rush, not wanting her friends to see her like this. How would they handle witnessing their best friend being dragged through the mud of depression? The restaurant stood six stories high in all its glory, looming over the city. A shiver ran through her; it reminded her of how _he _was much taller than the petite brown-eyed girl.

"Caroline Forbes," She swiftly told the seating hostess, who in return checked the list, her eyes suspiciously growing wide before nodding.

"Right this way," The slightly-quivering woman instructed, then flipped around and quickly guided her towards a small table in the corner. A faux smile plastered to her face as soon as she saw their bright, grinning faces around the corner.

Bonnie jumped up, enveloping her into a hug, "My Lord, how I've missed you." Elena smiled back in reply, her vocal chords sore from sobbing earlier in the morning. Caroline crossed her arms, directing a glare towards the seating hostess before glancing to Elena.

"She didn't give you any problems, did she?" Caroline asked, gesturing towards the timid woman. Elena shook her head, once again avoiding any means of talking for the time being. She nodded, dismissing the poor woman with a wave of her hand, "Gosh, she was such a bitch to us when we came in. Said we didn't have reservations when we _clearly did_." Elena chuckled, but resorted to rubbing her throat after the giggle irritated one of her already-throbbing glands.

Bonnie lifted up the menu, nonchalantly reading through it. Caroline followed suit, licking her lips every once in a while. Not feeling in the particular mood for dining, Elena glanced around the restaurant, observing each smiling, or talking, or eating patron. Her eyes landed on the back of a blonde's head. Almost immediately, a stirring feeling began in the pit of her stomach.

Bonnie cleared her throat, resulting in her having to turn back around, "How are you and the little one doing?" There was a faint smile playing on her lips; Bonnie always had a soft spot for children, especially infants.

Elena shifted, knowing full well that she would inevitably have to speak. "Fine," She croaked out, wincing slightly. The less words she spoke the better. Caroline scooted closer towards her, concern etched into her features.

"No, you're not," She pushed, eyebrows furrowed.

Bonnie straightened her back against the chair, a thought webbing in her head, "Does it have to do with that Damon guy?" Elena bit her bottom lip, head hung low. Very slowly and hesitantly, she nodded her head. Caroline placed a hand on her shoulder, everyone remaining silent.

Bonnie leaned in to whisper, "We won't ask if you don't want to tell." Elena glanced up into the brown eyes of her friend, seeing the sympathy pooling there. She couldn't handle this. Not anymore.

"Would you guys like to start with drinks?" A preppy waitress asked, false grin playing on her lips. A small notepad and paper were placed in each hand, though you could weakly see two scars on her wrists just beneath her bangles. Elena shivered before shaking her head and rushing towards the bathroom.

* * *

After checking under each stall to guarantee no one was there, she leaned her head against the wall, not caring how unsanitary it was. Her chest heaved with each small breath she shook, on the verge of an utter emotional meltdown. Her head fell into her hands as she slid down the wall until she hit the ground. Life is so fucked up, she thought.

"Um," A voice sliced through the abyss of silence, "is it alright if I use the toilet? I really, really have to piss." Elena glanced up briefly, nodded, and dropped her head back into her hands. "Thanks." The blonde muttered before rushing towards the stall.

A strange note was struck deep down in Elena. She had seen that face before, but she couldn't place her finger on it exactly. It was on the tip of her tongue.

_"That blonde was Lexi, my only childhood friend."_

The sounds of the toilet flushing and a zipper being pulled up echoed throughout the tiny room before the stall door opened. Elena's face turned bright red, and Lexi took it as embarrassment. "You okay?" She laughed. She has the nerve to laugh, Elena thought. Elena nodded, a tight smile placed on her lips. The blonde made her way towards the sink where she proceeded to apply soap and wash her hands thoroughly.

She turned around, smiling once again before drying her hands, "I'm Lexi, by the way. You are?"

Elena stood, blocking the exit, "Your worst nightmare."

* * *

A nervous laugh escaped my lips, "What?" The brunette stepped a bit farther forward.

"I said, I am your worst nightmare."

I crossed my arms, trying to retain myself from laughing at this petite girl before me, "Oh, really?" She nodded, which set me off. I lightly poked her in the chest, having seen the obvious swell in her stomach, "Listen here, girlie, I don't even know you, so back off."

The brunette shook her head, "Nope, you may not know me, but you indirectly fucked up my life."

I chuckled, not wanting to take part in her pity party, "How so?"

"You stole my boyfriend," She spat.

I froze, "You mean Dylan? 'Cause I'm pretty sure he was perfectly single when we-" The brunette furiously shook her head.

"No, no, no. I'm talking about," She inhaled sharply, "Damon."

_Damon? What the hell?_

"What're you talking about? I never _stole_ him from anyone," I corrected, taking a step back in disbelief at her accusations.

Her dark eyebrows rose, "Ah, well I distinctly remember seeing you two wrapped up in each other at the bar on the west side of the city." The tears pooling at the base of her eyes had me wanting to wrap her into a hug.

"No, you totally took that wrong," I stepped forward, only to have her step back, "Dylan had broken up with me and I wanted to make him jealous, so when I saw him there I took action." Before I could react, there was a loud _crack!_ My cheek began to throb as my head was tossed to the side by the force of the slap.

"You fucking bitch. You don't just use the first guy you see. Especially," She narrowed her eyes menacingly, "My. Fiancé." Her eyes widened slightly before her face dropped into a defeated expression, "I-I mean my ex-fiancé."

My heart clenched. Jesus, did I really smash an innocent relationship to bits and pieces? Damn, guess I did. Reaching out quickly, I wrapped her into a hug, whispering, "I am so, so sorry. I never knew, he never tells me anything, the stupid bastard." The sound of a muffled chuckle against my shoulder had my heart warming. She pulled back, her mascara slightly smeared, but the scowl now replaced with a smile.

"Blegh, I look like crap," She walked towards the sink to glance in the mirror. I leaned against the wall, curiosity setting in.

"I never caught your name."

Her lips twisted into a grin before she answered, "Elena."

* * *

He had been sulking in his hotel room for the past few days, not knowing what to make of his life. How could he have let this happen? She's right, I should've just said no to Lexi, he thought.

The door to the hotel room burst open, revealing a slightly battered blonde. "You will never believe what happened," were the first words out of his mouth as he dropped the bag of groceries on the coffee table.

Damon stayed in place, "Good day to you too, El Toro." Anthony rolled his eyes before flopping onto the bed, accidentally landing on Damon's leg. "Be careful," Damon spat.

The sun poured into the room, lighting up Anthony's face, "I saw this amazingly hot girl at the restaurant today."

Damon shook his head, "You and women," Curiosity got the better of him before he asked, "What did she look like?"

"She looked fi-ine. Kinda short, but long legs. Beautiful dark hair with these wild brown eyes. Man, you shoulda seen her," He licked his lips, eyes fluttering shut. Lord only knows what goes on in his head.

Damon scoffed, realizing how the description fit a certain somebody. Anthony tilted his head, eyes open, "Dude, you deaf or something? Not like I described an ugly ass bitch. Nah uh, man, this woman was lookin' hot."

"Okay, Anthony! I get it!" He snapped, jumping off the bed. Walking towards the living area he angrily plucked the brown paper bag of groceries off of the coffee table and began placing them into the cabinets in the kitchen.

Anthony trailed after him, hurt evident in his eyes, "What's up your ass?"

Damon spun around, spiked hair flying in all direction, "Nothing! Just leave me be!" The blonde flinched, something somewhere in his brain finally clicking into place. Grabbing his letterman jacket, he stormed out the door, slamming it shut behind him without a single word.

Damon laid down the knife, with which he had been cutting celery with, on the chopping board before leaning against the island behind him. He released a defeated sigh, not knowing what the hell to do anymore. It was then that they realized that he had truly pissed off Anthony, especially since he always had the last word in every conversation or argument.

* * *

The freezing bricks of the building dug into his back, but he didn't seem to mind. After all, he had been enduring nearly an hour of it. Glancing towards the bright sun high up in the bright blue sky, his green eyes sparkled under the rays. His pale skin soaked up the sunlight as he prepared himself to leave.

What the hell was I thinking, she doesn't even know me, he thought before pushing off of the brick wall. As he walked past the entrance, he couldn't help but glance inside to where the cash register stood. He stopped, seeing the side of her face as she paid her part of the bill. "Elena," He whispered, remembering seeing her name scrawled on the bottom of the check she had left at the café he worked at.

Just when he had worked up the courage to walk towards her, she turned. Not wanting her to see him first, he spun around to face the other side of the street, nervously biting his bottom lip. God, she's an angel, he kept thinking.

She had waved goodbye to a group of friends, and then gradually made her way outside into the cold New York air. Inhaling deeply, she stepped towards the street, immediately hailing a cab. The green-eyed man took his chance and strolled to her side just as the cab pulled up.

"Excuse me-" He began.

She immediately interrupted him and began to run through the usual answers to typical questions, "Sorry, I don't share cabs, won't donate to your 'charity', nor will I become a Jehovah witness."

He chuckled, "Nah, I'm not into those kinds of things. I was just wondering if you…would you…could I take you out sometime?" He glared down to the taxi driver when he began to honk his horn for them to hurry up.

Elena froze, hand still gripping the handle to the cab, "W-what?" She looked up to meet the gaze of the cashier from the French café, "Hey, it's you."

He smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's me, Elena."

She took a step back, "How do you know my name?"

He winced at her action, not meaning to scare her, "I didn't mean to be nosy, but I saw your name on the bottom of the check." She nodded slowly, eyebrows raised. He shook his head, "I'm sorry. Where are my manners," He stuck his hand out for her to shake, "I'm Stefan."


	13. Never Too Late

**A/N: Sorry for being late again.**  
**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 12:**  
**Never Too Late**

* * *

Elena froze, hand still gripping the handle to the cab, "W-what?" She looked up to meet the gaze of the cashier from the French café, "Hey, it's you."  
He smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's me, Elena."  
She took a step back, "How do you know my name?"  
He winced at her action, not meaning to scare her, "I didn't mean to be nosy, but I saw your name on the bottom of the check." She nodded slowly, eyebrows raised. He shook his head, "I'm sorry. Where are my manners," He stuck his hand out for her to shake, "I'm Stefan."

* * *

Elena flinched back, mind stuck in a whirlwind. Her eyes darted around, trying desperately to find an escape. She most definitely did not need another man in her already hectic life.  
"Excuse me." She breathed out, keeping her eyes directed towards the ground before hopping into the taxi, her only escape. Stefan stood frozen, heart chipped. It seemed that every woman he met, he scared away. Without him realizing it, a growl from deep within him rose to his throat as the taxi drove away. "Dammit," He hissed beneath his breath before turning his back on the road and walking calmly back home. He won't add another woman to his never ending list of 'untouchables'.

Elena exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she had held, wrapping her arms around her stomach. What was with men and her? Did they not see the obvious swell in her stomach?  
The taxi halted before her apartment building; never had she been so grateful to see the cream-colored bricks of the building. Paying the driver the appropriate amount, she began her short journey inside to the elevator. The numbers slithered upwards, the seconds ticking by ever-so-slowly. By the time the doors slid open on her floor, the exhaustion began to take a toll on her; eyes drooping and back slightly slouched forwards. She made a mental note to check the calendar for her doctor's appointment. The hallways grew shorter as she strolled towards her door just at the end of the hall. Hopefully Bonnie and Caroline weren't there; she didn't feel up to answering questions.

* * *

My feet dragged against the marble flooring, head hung low. I was in need of a long slumber just about now. My fingers played with the engagement ring still neatly placed upon my ring finger to keep my mind from wandering.  
Once I came upon apartment 94, I brought my eyes up from the floor, only to receive a shock to my already crumbling heart. There, slouched against the apartment door, was the raven-haired monster I so dearly despised. My heart settled beside my stomach, feet guiding me towards the door.  
_Maybe if I just quietly slipped inside...No, he's leaning against the damn door. Damn you, Salvatore!_  
Bottom lip between my teeth, I gripped my purse, trying my best to keep my mind in check. This man had a way with words and his mastery with persuasion could have any girl on her knees within seconds. God, I felt as if I might just throw up right there; as if I was flying around in circles. My heartbeat sped up, a horse's rhythm.  
My feet ventured forwards until reaching the base of his feet, lazily stuck out, not a care in the world. Just to make sure, I kicked his feet hoping he would jump up and leave. His head fell a bit more onto his shoulder, slightly startling me, but no further movements were made by the stilled monster. With a sigh I sidestepped to the left of him, kicking him harder in the side, hissing, "Damon, get up."

He grumbled, moving his head around with those perfectly cerulean eyes shut. To be on the safe side I nudged him in the side, needing desperately to get inside the safety of the apartment. My eyes shifted across his body, seeing that he had obviously been there all day, the laces on his boots untied, top two buttons on his shirt undone displaying the hair across his chest. His hair had been messily swept to the side, yet somehow seemed absolutely perfect. Really, could this man be any more perfect- stop Elena, you'll be pulled back into his trap. Be calm.

* * *

Sensing another presence in the hallway, he jolted awake and jumped to his feet, eyes darting directly down to the figure once towering over him. He swallowed the lump in his throat, desperately wanting to envelope her into a hug. "Hello, Elena."

She bit back the laugh once he wiped his palms on the sides of his jeans, "Damon," Her eyes glanced towards the door, "So, can I get into my apartment now?"  
He immediately stepped to the side, allowing her to walk past him and rummage through her purse for her keys. "I really need to talk to you."  
She jammed the key into the door, feeling the frustration pummel her. The door slithered open with a touch of her fingertip. Spinning around the breath in her caught seeing how the barrier between them dissipated. The breath emitting from his lips brushed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.  
"Actually, you don't." Every ounce of her hoped that he didn't catch the waver in her voice.  
His eyebrows rose, the spark returning to his eyes, "Oh really," His lips twisted into a smirk, leaning against the doorway, "Why's that?"  
She crossed her arms, holding herself together, "I had a little chat with Lexi."

Damon immediately straightened his back, eyes narrowed, "Dammit, Elena, what the hell did you do?" He gripped her arm, eyes flashing dangerously.  
She couldn't help but notice how his grip on her arm increased with each word spoken. She bit back the yelp before tearing her arm away from him, "Just go, Damon."

Before he could stop her she slammed the door behind her, eyes shut as she silently slid down. He backed away, feeling like a fool.

* * *

The heavy burden weighing down on him grew in weight. Walking the streets of New York City never felt more lonely, the passer-bys more energetic, radiating more happiness. Could he screw things up any more than he already has?  
A vibration in his pocket caught his attention. His hands dove into his pocket, pulling out his Blackberry. "Great," He hissed, seeing the contact as Armand's face popped up.

"Hello?" He bit out, eyes trained on a small cafe down the block. Deciding he needed a good meal he began the small journey.  
"Damon, my man. How the hell are you?" His voice was like bells, never a bitter tone to be found. It reminded him of Anthony, the poor fellow. A strange note was struck in him when he thought of the innocent face of Anthony, the hurt evident in his eyes when he last saw him.  
"Not too good."

Armand straightened his back, leaning against the couch in a local club. "You're not like suicidal are you? 'Cause I really don't need to deal with that again." He joked, trying to lighten the mood.  
Damon let out a dry chuckle, "No, just...it's just...I've got to go."  
"Wait, Damon, just tell me-" The line ended, leaving him hanging. Worry struck through him for his longtime friend and bandmate. Never before had he heard a man so broken, "Eh, can I get some damn service over here!" He waved his hand, needing to get out of the constricting space.

Damon leaned against the back of the wooden chair in the small cafe, trying to regulate his breath. The plastic of the phone hit the table, he didn't care if he broke the damn thing. At least it wasn't his already fragile heart. _That's if I have a heart._

"Welcome to French Bean," The bored tone brought his gaze up, seeing a bleach blonde horribly trying to cover up the fact that she was staring down at the her cellphone in the side pocket of her waist apron, "What would you like to drink?" She glanced up, eyes widening slightly before smiling and flipping her hair over her shoulder. The disgust washed over him, "Any alcohol?"  
She smiled wider, ignoring her buzzing phone, "Well, we don't serve any alcohol before twelve, but I could make an exception for you." She winked, crashing a new wave of disgust over him, "What would you like?"  
He shot her a nasty glare, "Another waiter."  
She tripped on her own words, eyes widening before swiftly nodding and rushing off. He soaked up the silence, even with the obnoxious honking of taxicab horns passing by. Slowly his eyes began to shut.

Minutes passed before there was a clearing of the throat and a young male voice cut through the abyss of sleep, "Pardon me, sir, but you requested a new waiter."  
Damon nodded, eyes still shut.  
"Sir, are you alright?"  
Annoyed, his eyes shot open before barking back, "Yes."

An eerie silence swirled around the two of them, catching them both. Damon narrowed his eyes, "Ah, fuck. As if my day couldn't get any worse!" His voice rose, shaking the table slightly.  
"Damon?" He stepped back, unsure of the sight before him.  
His arms flew out, "The one and only."

With a roll of his eyes Stefan crossed his arms, "What the hell are you doing in New York?"  
"My band is touring the country; just happened to stop here." _What would it matter if I tell a white lie?_ "Let me guess, the _wonderful_ uncle of ours brushed you off of his shoulders?"  
Stefan bit back the crude comments brewing inside his mind, "No, actually, I'm going to college. Unlike you."

Damon jumped to his feet knocking the table over in the process before getting up in front of his younger brother. Green clashed with bright blue, both with unsettled feelings. The deep wanting to scream until the breath in them died out overtook both.  
"What the fuck do you want?" Damon's voice reverberated off each wall, drawing many pedestrians' attention.

The manager of the restaurant rushed outside, eyes bugging out of his head, "You two, take this somewhere else!"  
Stefan's bewildered gaze snapped towards his boss, needing this job to make it through college, "But-"  
"Take it somewhere else!" He snapped before walking back inside to handle the overflowing crowds.

Damon whipped his jacket off of the back of the wooden chair and purposefully collided shoulders with his brother before storming off to catch a cab. A wound-up Stefan calmed himself, leaning against the bricks behind him. Without calming himself, he never would have noticed the Blackberry on the table.

* * *

Once his back hit the cushions of the couch, he shut his eyes, hoping the world would be shut out along with it. Visions of Elena, in all her gorgeous glory, kept him anchored to the darkness, never wanting to leave the fantasy world he had created. An infant soon flooded her face, its mess of dark hair invading his senses.  
The clapping of hands against his face dragged him kicking and screaming from the dream. "Wake up wake up wake up!" A voice rang.  
He jolted upwards, colliding foreheads with the face behind the voice. "Fuuuck!" Markus bellowed, kicking the couch to diminish the pain. Damon rubbed his forehead, "What do you want?" A yawn escaped his lips.  
Markus shot him a dirty glare, "We've been trying to get ahold of you for the past hour; we have a gig tonight."  
Pushing himself off the couch, he walked towards the bathroom, ignoring the still-babbling Markus.  
"Did you hear me?" He asked, making his way towards the door.  
The shower turned on, "Yup."  
"Just don't forget; 9:30, Damon!" He called before leaving.

* * *

Her heartbeat sped up when there were three distinct knocks on the oak door. Pushing the covers off of her, she quietly walked towards entryway, biting her bottom lip. "Who's there?"  
There was a sigh, "Bonnie Bennett, open the damn door."  
Elena giggled, unlocking the door and letting the brunette inside. Two arms immediately wrapped around her, squeezing her tight. "God, I missed you so badly." She was taken aback by the deep tone of the voice.  
"Jeremy?" She pulled back seeing a familiar, yet so distant face, and bringing him back into a hug, "Jeremy."  
His chest rumbled with his chuckle, "That's my name, don't wear it out."  
She playfully hit him, seeing Bonnie with a satisfied smirk, "Hey, Bonnie," They quickly hugged before Elena quickly realized a certain face was missing, "Where's Caroline?"  
Bonnie showed her the text she received from the blonde half an hour before, and wrapped an arm around Jeremy.  
Her eyebrows shot up, "Studio B?"

"Studio B? Never heard of the place." Damon snickered, tired of the grade-A venues they've been touring lately. He knew that he had just two weeks to make amends with Elena before Serpenti headed to Florida.

Anthony directed his gaze far away from Damon as he could, not able to forgive his bandmate.  
Armand glanced back towards the rest of them, "Lets go." Turning back around, he gripped the handle to the case of his bass and walking inside the building rumbling with music, the rest following suit.

The lights dimmed, signaling the band to head on stage. The noise died down as Damon hooked his guitar up to the amplifier, gripping the microphone and pick tightly, clearing his head of any distracting thoughts. Glancing back to his bandmates he quietly hissed, "Play like you mean it or I'll kick your ass."  
Without another word, he exhaled, releasing any jitters that had run through him,

_Breaking my back just to know your name _

_Seventeen tracks and I've had it with this game _

_I'm breaking my back just to know your name _

_But heaven ain't close in a place like this _

_Anything goes but don't blink you might miss _

_Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this _

_I said heaven ain't close in a place like this _

_Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight _

_Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight _

His thoughts clouded over with the face of Elena, the heartbroken expression forever etched into her features. His fingers tripped up once, accidentally messing up a note, but the crowd continued to dance erratically, the girls screaming and trying to work their way past the security. How he wished one of those girls was her.

_Well somebody told me You had a boyfriend _

_Who looked like a girlfriend _

_That I had in February of last year _

_It's not confidential_

_ I've got potential _

"You sure she's here?" Elena called out to Bonnie over the loud music. She knew the music most likely isn't good for her, especially in the middle of the game of her pregnancy. Her eyes scanned the crowd, finding several blondes, but no Caroline.  
"She says that she's by the bar." Bonnie yelled back, cupping her hands around her mouth to make herself louder.

The music blared louder as the two pushed through the crowd to get to the bar located beside the stage. Elena kept her focus on the bar, finally catching sight of Caroline, whose head was slumped against the metal bar. Worry seeped through her every pore seeing her friend like this. Something must have happened.

Pushing past several men who were trying to come onto her, she gripped Bonnie's hand tighter and made it to the bar just in time to stop a man from grabbing the blonde. She smacked the guy's hand away and yelled towards him, "Get lost!" Bonnie lifted Caroline's head up, trying to smack her awake with little success.

She cracked her eyes open, head pounding, "I need another drink," Her words were slurred, hand waving to gain the bartender's attention.  
"Oh no you're not." Elena couldn't help but to release a laugh of relief. The two girls lifted the sloshed girl off of the stool, seeing Jeremy pushing his way through the crowd. Bonnie took most of the weight, knowing she shouldn't be lifting anything too heavy. Once Jeremy made it to them, Elena instructed him to get a taxi and take Caroline back to the apartment, since Bonnie wanted to stay.

After he left, the girls finally relaxed, finding no seats at the overcrowded bar. The music died down as another band took the stage. Frustrated, Bonnie went to the other side of the bar to see if there were any seats available for them both of them. "You can take my seat." A voice reached out to her.

She snapped her gaze up, "Thanks." She stopped short when her gaze landed on the familiar green eyes. "Stefan," She took a step back, "What are you doing here?"

His lips twisted into a smirk, "I said, you can take my seat." He stood up, stepping towards her. Each step forward, a step back.  
"I-I-" Elena took another step before an arm gripped hers, halting any further actions.

The voice sent shivers down her spine, "Leave her alone." She snapped her gaze up to see the familiar towering figure.  
Stefan sneered, "Brother, I see we take a similar liking to women."  
Damon stepped in front of her, "You're not my brother. Not anymore," His eyes flashed dangerously, "She's mine."

"Uhm, well, for right now, she's coming with me." Elena breathed in relief when she saw Bonnie's face, walking away from the heated argument.  
Stefan watched after her before directing his gaze back on the raven-haired man in front of him. Flashes of memories of seeing his brother gradually becoming more and more detached. Pushing the memories aside he got up in his brother's face and spat, "She's yours, for now." Damon's nostrils flared along with his fury, readying himself for a full-blown brawl. Seeing the heat growing, Armand stepped in between the two, "Come on, man. We have another song to do." His persuasive gray eyes pleaded with him and Damon eventually gave in, roughly making his way through the growing crowd.

The guard at the door stopped him, pushing him back a bit, "Pass." He ripped the pass off his neck and flung it at the bulky man who stepped to the side to grant him access. Whipping the door open, he stormed inside, Armand following behind.

Anthony glanced up from setting up his snare, seeing his lead singer in an awful mood, "You alright, dude?"

Damon stopped, boots colliding with the floor, eyes locked onto the stage, "No, _dude_," He barked back, "I'm not."

Markus shook his head, seeing the youngest member of the band being put down once again, "Calm down." He jumped to his feet when Damon flipped around and jabbed a finger in his chest.

"Don't tell me what to fucking do!" Markus' eyes narrowed, only to be left bewildered when the raven-haired singer walked towards the back door and stormed out of the building.

* * *

**A/N: Don't forget to leave a review! :)**  
**So, morning sickness suuucks, and my husband won't give me foot massages. I feel awful. :(**  
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**Follow me on Twitter: EmilyStark14 Check out the updates on Livejournal: www(-)emilystark(-)livejournal(-)com**


	14. Some Nights

**A/N: I want to thank **_**Guest **_**for leaving this **_**wonderful**_** review: "****terrible."**

**Anyways, it's flu season :( Hope everyone is healthy!**

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* * *

_**Previously...**_

_The voice sent shivers down her spine, "Leave her alone." She snapped her gaze up to see the familiar towering figure._

_Stefan sneered, "Brother, I see we take a similar liking to women."_

_Damon stepped in front of her, "You're not my brother. Not anymore," His eyes flashed dangerously, "She's mine."_

_Markus shook his head, seeing the youngest member of the band being put down once again, "Calm down." He jumped to his feet when Damon flipped around and jabbed a finger in his chest._

_"Don't tell me what to fucking do!" Markus' eyes narrowed, only to be left bewildered when the raven-haired singer walked towards the back door and stormed out of the building._

* * *

Her grip tightened around the hand supporting, one of the few anchors keeping her from slipping into the deep abyss. Her stomach had begun doing somersaults as soon as she heard those two words from his lips.

_She's mine._

"Ugh," She groaned, not able to calm her stomach, nor the light kicking of her unborn baby. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, thoughts racing through her mind.

"We'll be home in a bit." Bonnie bit out a brisk farewell and ended the call. Her fingers immediately went to rub deep circles on her temples to attempt to alleviate the pounding headache. She shut her eyes, "Caroline's currently passed out on the bathroom floor."

Elena shook her head, "At least she's not walking the streets."

Bonnie clicked her tongue, opening her eyes to glance over towards her friend seated beside her in the back of the taxi, "She locked herself inside; Jeremy's trying to pick the lock as we speak." She released a bitter laugh, not believing how this night has ended. "There's something Care isn't telling us. She's been acting erratically ever since we got back."

Elena could only nod, running through a mental list of what could possibly be bothering the blonde. She vocalized her list to her, "No way she's pregnant; she never would have touched all those Snake Bites," A sigh escaped her lips, "Maybe Markus did something."

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, collapsing against the seat in a defeated position. She felt like the fairy godmother, trying her best to keep these two struggling couples together. No matter how much she disliked Damon.

There was an uncomfortable silence before the taxi stopped, stuck in traffic. Bonnie shifted, crossing her ankles and clearing her throat, "What's the status with Delena?"

Elena bore a hole into the carpet of the taxi with her intense glare, hiding the faint smile playing on her lips from the nickname the relationship had been tagged with, "Officially stamped as 'it's complicated.'"

Her lips pursed, directing her gaze back to the traffic in front of them. It had been close to ten minutes and they were in the exact same spot as before. Leaning forward she asked the driver, "What's the holdup?"

The Eastern man snickered, turning down the foreign music, "I'll go see." He stepped out of the car, leaving the two to ponder on what could possibly be holding up traffic. After a few minutes he slipped back into the taxi, turning around with a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Well? What's happening?" Elena queried, the hormones getting the better of her.

He chuckled, turning back around to glance at her through the rearview mirror, "Some guy standing in the middle of Times Square-"

She cut him off, "Where are the police when you need them?"

His dark eyes narrowed, "-singing."

Bonnie glanced over, wary of her reaction. _It couldn't be him, right?_

She tensed, heartbeat picking up immensely, "Bon, you don't think it's him, do you?" She stared straight ahead, gripping the edges of the leather seat.

"It's very unlikely. Probably just some drunk." _God I hope I'm right._

The driver chuckled, "Oh, he's drunk alright. Practically tore his shirt off in the first verse."

Elena's eyes widened, her breathing picking up. "Oh God."

Bonnie went to reach for her hand only to have her pull it away and grip the handle of the door, "Don't do anything stupid, Elena. It's probably not him-"

"What if it is!" She whipped the door open, heels clicking against the pavement and a hand gripping her stomach. The baby obviously hated feeling its mother in distress, for it began to kick. Bonnie was unable to open her door due to the closeness of the neighboring car. Cursing to herself, she slid over to where Elena previously sat, only to find a car pulling up dangerously close to the taxi.

"Fuck!" She jabbed at the button to roll down the window, "Elena! Get back here!"

Elena weaved through the throng of vehicles, making her way towards the epicenter of Times Square. Various drivers were standing outside their cars, trying to catch a glimpse of the erratic man. A helicopter above shone a light down on him, cameras onboard rolling.

Her throbbing ankles felt as if they were to give out any second. She took a second to lean against a van and vigorously tore off her heels, leaving them in the street before running once again.

The thought of whether she was taking a serious risk running like this crossed her mind, but she pushed it to the side once she saw his sweaty face just a few feet away. Luckily there was an absence of police officers, so she would be able to draw him away safely.

His dark shirt lay in a heap on the black pavement, torn to shreds. She gulped, seeing his perfectly sculpted abs, shining with perspiration. Her hands ached to run her fingers across them and up to his squared jaw. His cerulean eyes were shining with mirth, lips moving in sync with each word sung.

She was so close to touching him, touching that impeccably soft skin of his. A few cars were trying to get into the slowly moving lane, getting in her path.

A large van nearly hit her as she darted closer and closer. The volume of his words got louder and louder.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?_

_No one will ever change this animal I have become_

_Help me believe it's not the real me_

_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become_

_Help me believe it's not the real me_

_Somebody help me tame this animal_

By the time she was standing before him he had climbed onto the hood of the car directly to the right of him, the driver screaming at him to get off. He threw his hands up into the air, shutting his eyes as he listened intently to the chorus of car horns and angry motorists.

Unable to get any closer to him, she cupped her hands around her mouth to bellow, "DAMON!"

His eyes snapped open, searching the area for the source of the voice. She started maniacally waving her hands to gain his attention. Their gazes met, locking for the briefest of seconds before he waved back.

"Heyyy-" He nearly lost his balance when the driver jerked the car forward. Jumping down he flashed the man the finger before strolling towards Elena, taking all the time in the world.

Once he was in close proximity, she hit him on the shoulder, ignoring the jabbing pain in her side, "Dammit, Damon! Are you insane?"

He smirked before pulling her into his arms. She jerked her face away when he tweaked her nose, only to have him gently pull her face back to him. His lips gently brushed her ear as he whispered, "You made me this way, kitten."

She quickly turned to bite his ear, causing him to roar in pain, "Lets go, Evel Knievel." She gripped his hand, reaching down to grab his shirt and leading him off in the direction of the taxi. Several drivers screamed curses his way as they passed. He kept that obnoxiously bright grin on his face, tipping an imaginary hat to the potty mouths.

She pulled the door to the taxi open, ignoring the steaming Bonnie with her arms crossed. Damon hopped in after Elena, smiling in the direction of Bonnie who glared in return.

"Uhm, Elena?"

Elena held her hand up, "Please, not now."

Damon leaned across to extend his hand to Bonnie and slurred out, "The name is Sal...vatore. Damon Salvatore."

Her glare grew deeper, "The name is Your-Breath-Smells-Like-Fucking-Death."

He pouted, turning towards the window to discreetly lift his hand to his mouth and exhale. He cringed at the bitter smell of scotch and bourbon.  
Elena leaned her head against the seat, hands wrapped around her protruding stomach. She hoped the jabbing pain would subside soon. The taxi jerked forward, finally able to move.

* * *

By the time they reached the apartment building Damon had passed out. Elena sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. Deep down she hoped their child would be like him. Her ring finger felt strangely bare, since she had angrily thrown the engagement ring across her bedroom.

Bonnie tapped her on the shoulder, "Are we going to have to take him to our place?"

She shook her head, "Nah, I'll take him to his place." Bonnie nodded, handing her a fifty for the cab fare and stepped out of the taxi.

The driver yawned, stretching his arms, "Where to?"

It dawned on her that she had no idea. Sighing heavily she shook Damon to wake him. He moaned softly before falling back asleep, annoying her further. She whispered an apology before smacking him rather roughly across the cheek.

He jerked awake, colliding foreheads with her, "Oww! Ungh, what happened?" He rubbed his cheek, eying her warily.

Elena stifled a laugh before straightening her back, "Where do you live?"

His eyebrows shot up, "Are you referencing something, Miss Elena?"

Momentarily confused her head tilted to the side. It finally hit her like a load of bricks, "Gah, no I was not referencing _that_!"

He searched her face a smirk playing on his lips. Never breaking his gaze he said to the driver, "15 West 63rd Street."

She sucked in a breath, not believing his words, "Wait a minute," Her eyes widened, "You were the one who bought the penthouse?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I thought, 'Well I have the money, might as well.'"

"You live in like one of the most expensive buildings in NYC."

He smiled, "Yup."

* * *

"Damon," She breathed out, taking in the environment. He smirked, tossing his jacket onto the sofa. She ran her fingers across the aquarium, amazed by the exotic fish.

Damon quietly strolled over. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing his hands to rest on the small bump. She relaxed against his form, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder as he pointed out each fish, "That's Rocky, Fred, Damon Jr, Charlie and Nemo is the one hiding behind the rock."

She rolled her eyes at the names, "Really? Damon Jr?" She knew that she would be the one picking baby names now. No way was she going to allow him to name their child Nemo, or God forbid, Rocky.

"Look at him; he's got black and blue stripes." He smiled before twirling her around so she was facing him directly.

She shivered at how close their lips were. Mere inches away, she could practically feel his ragged breath against her skin. Her heartbeat picked up. His eyes darkened, bringing himself closer, their lips brushing every so softly.

A familiar kicking sensation snapped her out of the trance that was Damon Salvatore. She gently pushed him away, his arms still around her. She directed her gaze away from him, "Damon, I-I...we can't."

She expected him to push her away, demand she get out of his impeccable penthouse and to never return. Shock waves shot through every vein in her body when he pulled her to his chest, smashing his lips with hers. She was stockstill against him, eyes wide. Her conscience screamed at her to get out there, yet her body refused. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, quite literally. Damon had gently pushed her up against the wall, and she could have sworn she had brushed over 'Damon Jr' more than once.

Once his tongue swished across her bottom lip, she gave in, fluttering her eyes shut and granting his tongue across. The room's temperature seemed to have skyrocketed as she dragged her nails gently across his bare abs. He shuddered, deepening the kiss.

They broke for air, chests heaving against the other. She arched her back, knowing very well what she was pressing against. He leaned his forehead against hers, groaning loudly. She ground down, smiling. His hand reached up to grip the edge of the wooden shelf to contain himself from ripping off her clothing and taking her right there.

The elevator doors slithered open, and out stepped a clueless Armand, his arms slung over the shoulders of a bleach blonde. Damon's head snapped towards him, eyes ablaze.

"Dammit, Armand! How many times have I told you not to take women to my apartment." His hand balled into a fist, smashing into the wall beside Elena's head. She jumped, cowering back from his embrace. This definitely was a side of him that she had never seen before. It was frightening seeing how quickly his moods could change.

She pushed him away, ignoring his apologies as she made her way towards the couch to grab her coat. He sent a death glare towards a shocked Armand who quietly made his way back towards the elevator with the girl trailing behind.

Just as Elena walked towards the elevator, Damon grabbed her wrist, "Please, don't go. I'm sorry."

She kept her gaze directed, "I shouldn't have come here."

He froze, shoulders slumping forwards. His grip on her loosened, allowing her to enter the elevator with the other silent two.

Once the doors closed, he let his facade crumble.

* * *

Her eyes skimmed across the pictures of a shirtless Taylor Lautner in the magazine, wishing that he could somehow be hers. She warily glanced towards Elena, who had been curled up on the couch for the past half hour just staring at the television.

"Got it!" Jeremy called out. Bonnie jumped to her feet, abandoning the magazine on the coffee table. She rushed towards the bathroom, finding her boyfriend gently lifting a still-unconscious Caroline into his arms.

"Is she alright?" She asked, genuinely worried for the wellbeing of her friend.

Jeremy remained silent, carefully maneuvering through the apartment until he reached Caroline's room where he gently placed her onto the bed. He checked her pulse as Bonnie brushed a strand of blonde hair from her pale face, "She'll be fine." She nodded, glancing up to him.

She reached across to peck him on the lips, "Thank you, Jer."

He smiled, "No problem."

The two walked out of the room, Bonnie quietly shutting the door. She grabbed his arm when he went to walk back into the living room. He stepped back towards her as she whispered, "Could you wait in my room? I have to talk with Elena."

He nodded, gently kissing her on the lips before walking down the hall to her room. Bonnie inhaled sharply and walked into the living room to where she previously sat. Picking up the magazine, she waited.

"Hey, Elena?"

Elena mumbled back, "Yeah?"

She straightened her back, placing the magazine on her lap, "What happened?"

Elena tensed, eyes shutting, "Nothing."

Bonnie immediately saw through the facade, hearing the slight waver in her voice. Quietly she crawled the ten feet to her, immediately wrapping her arms around her. Once she felt the arms enveloping her, she broke down, releasing every pent-up emotion.

* * *

Jeremy yawned heavily, rubbing his eyes to see the time.

1:45 AM

He rolled over, expecting to bump into Bonnie. When he nearly rolled off of the bed he sat up straight. "Bonnie?" He called out, hoping she was at least somewhere in the room. Slipping out of the bed, he quietly made his way out of the room and into the living room.

There, sat on the ground next to the couch, was a restless Bonnie, eyes drooping. He smiled before gently lifting her up into his arms, careful as not to wake Elena. She rested her head against his shoulder, falling asleep immediately.

* * *

The clock chimed two in the morning, yet the restless Damon downed another glass of scotch whisky. The liquid scorched his throat as it traveled down, his eyes pinched shut from the pain. He knew that he had scared her away. For good? Who knew.

His hand curled tighter around the glass, gripping it to the point where he was sure it would crack. To his disappointment it did not. Jumping to his feet, he hurled the glass into the roaring fireplace, watching as the glass shattered.

He couldn't take the tearing of his heart anymore; it was killing him. Drinking seemed to be the only painkiller effective for him. Crumbling back into his chair in front of the fireplace he stared ahead, completely blank. His jaw tensed before his hands cradled his head, defeated.

* * *

**A/N: I'll try to update soon!**


	15. Dirty Little Secret

**A/N: I know, it's such a shock: I'm actually updating! No excuses, just a really, really big 'I'm sorry.'**

**Don't forget to:**

**Follow me on Twitter: EmilyStark14**

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* * *

_**Previously…**_

_The clock chimed two in the morning, yet the restless Damon downed another glass of scotch whiskey. The liquid scorched his throat as it traveled down, his eyes pinched shut from the pain. He knew that he had scared her away. For good? Who knew._

_His hand curled tighter around the glass, gripping it to the point where he was sure it would crack. To his disappointment it did not. Jumping to his feet, he hurled the glass into the roaring fireplace, watching as the glass shattered._

_He couldn't take the tearing of his heart anymore; it was killing him. Drinking seemed to be the only painkiller effective for him. Crumbling back into his chair in front of the fireplace he stared ahead, completely blank. His jaw tensed before his hands cradled his head, defeated._

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

**Dirty Little Secret**

* * *

"Good morning New York City! This is Beth Thompson, your morning-" The tinny, obnoxiously bright tone of the morning radio personality was cut off by the sharp jerk of the weary blonde's hand slamming down on the 'snooze' button.

Caroline was sick of happy; the only thing she wanted right now was peace and quiet. Peace from her already-strained relationship with Markus and an amplified amount of quiet for her throbbing head.

_What the hell happened last night?_

Her brain felt mushy, almost puttylike. The busybodies walking the hectic streets below, most likely walking right out into traffic in typical New York fashion, caused drivers to repetitively slam on their horns, bouncing off her throbbing skull.

She groaned, wrapping the pillow further around her head. Any more of this and she would be forced to grab her gun, the one her mother insisted she brought with her when she moved, and do some serious slaughtering if it meant she could get some quiet.

"Damn this world." She hissed through barred teeth, clamping her hands down on the pillow.

She could have sworn she heard the angels singing when there came this strange, three second moment of silence. Everything seemed to be a standstill. Amazed, she lifted her head up, hair in all directions.

_**CRASH!**_

"Shit!" A voice called out from within the apartment, "That's the third one!"

Caroline cringed, eyes squinted. Suddenly, as if someone abruptly clicked the play button, every sound came alive; the cars below honked, the shouting of the vendors, the wailing sirens of police vehicles. She groaned, deciding that sleeping just wasn't worth it.

Trying her absolute best to sit up straight without falling over, she finally succeeded after many failed attempts and slipped into her green slippers.

_1…2…3_

She wobbled to her feet, immediately gripping her sore head in her hands. After waiting a few seconds, she shuffled to the hall, hearing the bustling noises surrounding her. The shower brusquely turned on, she moaned and picked up her pace, hoping the person in the bathroom would realize her burning need for pain relievers.

"Caroline!" Her heartbeat began to drum in her head, "You're awa-"

She held her hand up, lightly shaking her head, "Shh, be very, very quiet or I will be forced to kill you."

Bonnie rolled her eyes before continuing to clean up the shattered remnants of the plate, "I took the courtesy of grabbing the ibuprofen for you, since Jeremy is in the shower."

Caroline's head snapped up, a smile playing on her lips, "Is it the good shit?"

Bonnie straightened her back, "Watch your mouth, Care." Her eyebrows furrowed, cleaning utensils in hand.

The blonde rolled her eyes, wincing when a jolt of pain shot through her, "You know it's the effects of a hangover," Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "So, is it the good shi…shiznit?"

Reaching across the counter, she grabbed the brown paper bag and tossed it towards her, "Only the best for you." She grunted in frustration when her finger unintentionally ran across the jagged edge of the broken plate, droplets of blood dripping onto the floor. She muttered a string of curses, dropped the cleaning utensils and rushed to the sink to properly sanitize her finger.

Caroline glanced up, "Watch your mouth, _Bonnie_," She snickered before glancing into the bag, "You are a freak."

"What? I can't help not wanting to get an infection.

"No, you got like every remedy out there for a hangover."

Bonnie leaned against the counter, pressing a damp towel to her finger, "Only the best for you."

She muttered beneath her breath, taking out each item separately. Water, Gatorade, Advil, and a banana which she had waggled her eyebrows playfully at, earning herself a laugh from Bonnie.

* * *

Elena gradually shifted awake, having felt the fluttering from beneath the skin of her abdomen. Caroline and Bonnie were talking in hushed voices, obviously teasing each other with no remorse whatsoever. Sitting up, she pulled on her socks which had been tossed onto the coffee table and scuffled into the kitchen area.

Bonnie brightened, having been very tense before from breaking plates consecutively. "Hey, look who's finally awake," She had a certain glimmer in her eyes that told Elena that she didn't have to worry about Bonnie mentioning anything regarding the previous night.

Caroline's head slumped onto her arm which lay lazily on the kitchen counter. Elena forced a smile onto her lips as she took the stool beside her, and gently asked her to switch on the small television meticulously placed on the counter.

The television buzzed to life, the face of a reporter popping onto the screen.

"Late last night traffic in Times Square was at a standstill as Damon Salvatore, lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band, Serpenti was reported to have been 'dancing and singing maniacally', causing an abrupt halt in all traffic. We were fortunate to have captured this on film."

The reporter's voice faded as a video from the helicopter came into view. Elena gasped, Bonnie grew stock-still, Caroline laughed.

* * *

To say Damon was mortified when he saw the video of himself in Times Square acting like a nutcase, would be the understatement of the century. His face grew red, eyes glimmering with mirth. Just as his finger was about to jab viciously at the power button, he saw the most beautiful creature rush onto the screen.

"Elena," He breathed, eyes locked onto her frame as she very nearly almost got struck by a van. His hands curled into fists, wanting to knock the life out of the driver of the vehicle. His eyes remained unblinking as he followed her figure rushing towards him on the car.

_My saving grace._

He quickly switched the television off when the door to the apartment flung open, "Dude! Did you see the news?"

Damon blinked, trying desperately to find his voice, "I…"

Armand, unable to control his excitement, blurted out, "You're a fucking legend, man. I mean you have a fan club. A _fan club_, Damon," He flopped onto the couch, "Everyone is talking about you."

Damon blinked once more, not sure if he should feel envied or angered.

* * *

The video played on a loop when Bonnie flipped hurriedly through every channel, finding the same report on every news show. Elena was beyond humiliated; they had managed to capture her on film, running to him as well as leading him back to the taxi.

Caroline's hangover giggles wore off by the time they had reached the previous news channel where the panel of news anchors couldn't control their fits of chuckles. The room shook when Elena's tiny fists came down to slam on the counter, "Change the channel!"

Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat, clicking the button frantically before the television grew a brain and realized it needed to switch channels. Her hand eventually gave up, letting it land on channel six.

The male reporter finished his summary on the events before it shifted to live footage of the recording studio. Bonnie inhaled sharply, for she knew that Serpenti recorded their albums there. The camera shakily yet quickly zoomed into an approaching black Ford Crown Victoria. The car halted in front of the building, the frenzy of people rushing to the car. Bonnie crossed her fingers, hoping and praying that it wasn't who she thought it was.

Markus stepped out of the tinted car, and immediately became bombarded by reporters who shouted out various questions.

"Did you and Miss Caroline Forbes break up?"

"Is it true you cheated on her?"

"Are you currently dating Victoria Donovan?"

"Were you unfaithful towards Ms. Forbes with Victoria?"

Markus hung his head low on the last question, crushing every single woman's heart. Caroline inhaled sharply, her breaths wavering. Elena rested her hand on the blonde's arm, a quake rushing through her heart when she felt her shaking violently.

Caroline abruptly tore her arm away and stomped to her room where she hastily threw on her clothing and high heels before storming out of the apartment, leaving the two girls utterly bewildered.

* * *

Only two blocks away from the recording studio, the sobs began to rack her body, forcing her to lean against the closest building away from the heavy foot traffic. Not one person stopped to ask if she was alright. Not one.

A few minutes passed as she tried to regain her breath, her body felt so weak. Her eyes fluttered shut, breathing in and out repetitively.

"Uhm, are you alright?" The voice of an obviously young male broke through her dark world. Her eyes opened, seeing a towering, young man with deep brown eyes that seemed to bore into hers.

She swallowed thickly, "I-I'm fi-"

He cut her off, eyes narrowed, "No, you're not," He turned towards the street, waving towards the passing taxis, "Where do you live?"

The breath hitched in her throat. She choked out, "What?"

A cabdriver caught sight of him and quickly pulled over, switching off the light on the roof. He turned towards her, a small frown of worry on his lips, "Where do you live?"

She stepped back, "I don't even know you."

He groaned in frustration before stepping towards her and extending his hand, "My name is Anthony D'Amato, I'm in a band, and I swear I don't have a criminal record."

A half-sob, half-laugh escaped her thin lips as she clasped her hand with his, "I'm Caroline Forbes."

He smiled, "I know."

* * *

Elena bit her lip, digging her hands into her coat pockets even further. To hell with the weatherman; no way in hell it was thirty-five degrees out. The bitter wind kissed her cheeks, sending shivers racing down her spine.

Her teeth began to chatter as she rounded the corner onto 63rd street. Her heart began to hammer in her chest when she reached the familiar, grand, gothic-styled apartment building. As much as she really did not want to go to her long ago scheduled doctor's appointment, she needed some assurance that her baby was fine. He or she's kicks have been getting weaker lately, plus the added factor of the frightful pains the night before. She pushed those thoughts away, mustering any courage she had left.

_Please don't walk out. Please don't._

"Uhm, Elena?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to God that it wasn't him before slowly spinning around, "Yes?"

A blonde-haired man stood before her, eyes narrowed in a cocky way, "Hey," He paused, stepping closer, "You probably don't know me."

She nodded, slightly intrigued. How can so many men know her, yet she had no idea of their existence?

"I'm Armand Eisen, it's a pleasure to finally meet Damon's mysterious girl." He smiled warmly, cooling any nervous feelings inside of Elena.

"Same to you," She glanced nervously over his shoulder, "Is he here?"

Armand shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno. I'm actually on my way to the recording studio to try to knock some sense into Markus," His eyes visibly darkened, "Who would've thought, huh?"

She swallowed the knock that had formed in her throat, "Caroline's so crushed. I'm afraid she'll do something…reckless."

Armand grew quiet, tapping his foot. Elena noted how he looked so vulnerable, so innocent. It dawned on her when the church bells chimed, indicating midday was approaching. She yawned, suddenly feeling fatigued.

He took notice of this, "I better get going, but it was nice meeting you, Elena." He smiled, and for the first time in a while, Elena flashed a real smile before parting ways with the childish man.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Miss Gilbert." Doctor Harris smiled, her glasses shining from the sunlight pouring in through the blinds.

"Good afternoon." She gave a tight-lipped smile, feeling quite queasy.

Doctor Harris took a seat in the swivel chair, asked a few mandatory questions before lightly pressing into Elena's stomach to ensure everything was on the right track.

"Everything seems fine, though I do have one concern."

Elena's face paled, not wanting to hear anything remotely among those lines, "What? What's wrong?"

The doctor smiled in reassurance, "Nothing to cause any concern. Just relax, Miss Gilbert." She rested her shoulders back on the cushion, praying endlessly that the doctor was correct in her assumptions.

Minutes passed as Doctor Harris circulated the wand across her stomach, searching for something. Her eyebrows furrowed, causing a flame of worry to ignite inside Elena.

"Please, tell me what's wrong," Elena pleaded, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't lose her baby; it was the only thing keeping her from falling into insanity. Afraid to glance at the screen, she kept her eyes glued to the doctor's face, hoping to find some clue there.

Doctor Harris straightened her back, locking her eyes with Elena's, "I'm not picking up a heartbeat,"

* * *

**(A/N: This takes place in Las Vegas, right before Elena and Damon leave.)**  
_"Have you thought of any names yet?" Bonnie asked, digging her hand into the bag of popcorn. The sickly sweet taste of the kettle corn left a surprisingly amazing taste in her mouth, causing her to run her tongue over her teeth more than once._

_Caroline's ears perked up, "Hey, what about Caroline? It's a pretty amazing name."_

_Elena giggled, eyes locked to the steamy make-out scene playing out in the chick-flick, "Yeah, I've thought about it."_

_The two girls waited, ignoring the scenes they usually adored. "Well?" Caroline queried._

_She smiled, "I was thinking Owen or Logan for a boy, and Sophia or Mia if it's a girl."_

_Caroline sighed, "I want a baby now," She shifted up onto her elbows to glance at her friends, "You think Markus wants kids?"_

_Bonnie snickered, "Didn't you guys just get together?"_

_Caroline pouted, "So? There are teenage girls out there who get pregnant to get onto a show. I'm pretty sure that what I'm talking about isn't __that__ bad." The three were thrown into a fit of laughs, the bags of popcorn eventually falling onto the ground as they gripped each other for air._

* * *

Elena's heart froze, eyes widening.

"Miss Gilbert, there's two heartbeats."

* * *

**A/N: So are you guys TEAM MARKUS or TEAM ANTHONY? Tell me, so I know who to pair Caroline up with! It's up to you guys!  
**

**A bit cliché, but whatever. I've had this plot on my mind for the last few weeks, and it wouldn't stop bothering me. **


	16. Hold the Line

**A/N: Thank you all for reviewing! This may be the last chapter that I write, then I will hand it over to my closest friend, Jocelyn. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Don't forget to:**

**Follow me on Twitter: EmilyStark14**

* * *

_Minutes passed as Doctor Harris circulated the wand across her stomach, searching for something. Her eyebrows furrowed, causing a flame of worry to ignite inside Elena._

_"Please, tell me what's wrong," Elena pleaded, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't lose her baby; it was the only thing keeping her from falling into insanity. Afraid to glance at the screen, she kept her eyes glued to the doctor's face, hoping to find some clue there._

_Doctor Harris straightened her back, locking her eyes with Elena's, "I'm not picking up a heartbeat," Elena's heart froze, eyes widening. "Miss Gilbert, there's two heartbeats."_

* * *

Fright turned her veins into iced faucets. She expected the absolute worst after becoming accustomed to death. First her beloved parents, then her aunt Jenna. Her arms fell to her sides, jaw slacked and eyes glazed over.

"T-twins?" Shock ran through her at the realization that she could actually speak.

The doctor nodded, eyebrows furrowed. She began to mentally prepare herself for a freakout from the patient.

Elena nodded, shifting slightly in her chair. "Dammit, Damon." She hissed, eyes directed towards the window where the sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the blinds. Her heartbeat was racing a million miles an hour, mind rapidly trying to access the situation.

* * *

The door flung open with a flick of her wrist, her dangerous hybrid mix of confused anger and joy flowing through her. She was overcome with the urge to rip a certain somebody's head off, in fact her hands had begun to ache from the necessity of it.

Flagging down a taxi, she hopped into the car, slamming the door shut with force. The driver eyed her through the rearview mirror, giving her a nasty glare.

"Where to?" He spat, eyes directed back to the bustling road.

She kept her head hung low, slumping down in the seat as she gazed out the window, "Upper..." She trailed off, a sudden idea webbing inside her mind, "Bae Records, Lafayette Street."

* * *

Caroline rested her head against the bricks of the wall, feeling her scalp immediately cooling from the thirty-degree weather. Once Anthony dropped her off at the apartment building, she sat on the front steps, ignoring the pestering from the doorman constantly asking her, 'Are you alright, ma'am?'

With her arms wrapped around her knees, she gazed up to the clouds, wishing she could be like one of them, constantly floating around. _What a life that would be._

Reality came crashing down on her when the door to the building slammed shut, drawing her from the dream world. She cleared her throat, sitting there for a few more seconds before slowly standing up, much to the doorman's relief.

He eyed her warily beneath his cap, to which she called out, "Think I'll take a walk." He nodded before flagging down a taxi for a person.

Her feet guided her down the sidewalk, further and further she ventured. Before she knew it, she was coming upon the luxurious streets of New York. Passing by the theater district as well as Chinatown and Little Italy, she ventured onto Lafayette Street, seemingly drawn there. The second building in, she nearly broke down.

Just down the street she spotted Bae Records, in all its glory and a black Ford Crown Victoria still parked out front.

* * *

Damon rattled his knuckles on the Oak door, hoping to be called in. There was a brisk 'Come in' spoken, and he swiftly opened the door before stepping into the boardroom. Mickey sat in the furthest chair, larger than all the others. His plucked eyebrows, abnormally high on his face, were furrowed, pouty lips drawn down.

"Damon, take a seat," One of the company's associates gestured to the seat opposite of him. Damon, in his leather jacket, took the seat, watching Markus while doing so. His bandmate was sat on the other end of the table, wringing his hands with his head hung low.

A balding man with a handlebar mustache cleared his throat before speaking, "As we all know, the previous days have been very difficult for not only Markus, but for the company as well. The tabloids have been all over the purported affair Markus has had with Victoria Donovan."

There were mumblings and grumbles from around the table, another man calling out, "Who exactly is this Victoria Donovan."

Mickey placed his chin in his hand before gesturing towards his assistant to speak up. She frantically jumped to her feet, "Victoria Donovan, commonly called Vicky, is the heiress to the Donovan Enterprise fortune."

"So, a spoilt child, then?"

"A child looking for attention, that's what she is."

Damon glanced towards the faces of those talking before looking towards Markus who remained strangely silent.

Damon shifted, "Markus," His eyes remained directed towards the table, "Markus, look at me."

The man slowly lifted his gaze, the room growing silent.

Damon inhaled sharply, "Is it true? What the papers are saying?"

Markus looked back towards his hands on the table.

"Did you or did you not cheat on Caroline?" Damon bit out.

Markus snapped his gaze up, eyes ablaze, "I did, okay? I fucking regret it, but I did it!"

The room remained deadly silent for a good minute, everyone accessing the situation.

The associate stood, pacing the floor, "Oh, this is not good, not good at all," He spun towards Markus, "Do you realize how screwed we are now? We could possibly lose sponsors over this, big cases that we need, Markus! Not to mention Serpenti will lose its image."

Mickey stood before briskly walking out of the room, his secretary close on his tail. Damon, shocked and angered, followed suit.

* * *

She turned in the opposite direction when the raven haired man walked out, not wanting him to spot her. Once the coast was clear, she spun back around and waited. This was the only way, since she had no other options.

The door slammed open, passersby staring and surprised the door did not shatter. Markus stormed out, face red and fists clenched. Caroline pushed through the throngs of rushing people, grabbing his coat rather roughly.

He very nearly punched her square in the nose before realizing who it was. His entire face softened, eyes a window to his soul. And she couldn't care less.

"Is it true?" She spat, her grip increasing on the shoulder of his coat.

He searched her face, looking for any signs of hurt. He found it in her impossibly-blue eyes, right on display for him to see. "Care, I-"

She immediately cut him off, "Don't ever call me that again."

He winced, "I'm so sorry, Caroline."

"Just tell me the truth, dammit!" She yelled, gaining the attention of passersby. There was the familiar click of a camera going off, yet the two were too lost in each other.

He swallowed the knot in his throat, choking out, "Yes," His heart shattered when her face fell, hand falling to her side and bottom lip trembling, "Oh, Care, I'm so fucking sorry."

She slapped him across the face, and he barely even flinched, knowing fully well that he deserved it. He had been preparing for this moment ever since the regret set in.

She looked him dead in the eyes, "I hate you." And stormed off.

He froze, legs practically dead. He had something so perfect, and he had to go and screw it all up.

* * *

The answering machine was flashing by the time Damon arrived at his apartment. Flinging his keys into the bowl on the counter, he pressed the button and attentively listened as the robotic voice announced that there was a message waiting.

"Damon, it's Elena. Listen, I really need to talk to you," There was silence, and he began to fear that that was the end of the oblique message, "Please call me as soon as you get this."

The machine beeped before he tore off towards the closest phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Damon."  
Silence before an intake of breath.

"I went to the doctor's today-"

"Why? Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby-"

"Damon, nothing's wrong with the babies."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

_Nothing is wrong with the-_ _Did she say..._

"Babies?"

Silence.

"We're having twins, Damon." The line went dead just as Damon's heart stopped beating.

"Twins?" He asked the empty room, hand dropping the phone onto the wooden floor.

There was the sound of feet thudding against the wooden floor before a voice called out, "Whoa, man, did you score some twins?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's so short, but at least I got everything I wanted in there. Not much of Anthony (he was the one to ask the last question), but we're making some progress.**

**Don't worry, all the couples are still taking baby steps, minus MarkusXCaroline. They took a giant leap back. I was actually going to use the Vicky plot with Damon and Elena, but you all love them so much that I just couldn't do it.**

**I had someone ask me if my last name is actually Stark. No, it is not.**

**So my husband and I have thought about names for our son, and we're thinking about naming him Hayden James.**

**Next Chapter will be written by Jocelyn!**


	17. You Found Me

**A/N: Hey guys! Em's on maternity leave so I'll be writing this chapter of **_**Rock the Ballet! **_**My name's Jocelyn by the way. **

* * *

**17**

**You Found Me**

* * *

The hissing of the burnt cigar-butt against the cool metal of the ashtray sent quivers down Damon's back. It had been three weeks since the scandal that had rocked the music industry, shaking away countless disappointed Serpenti fans. The P.O. Box had been filled with hate mail from teenage-age girls, professing their hatred towards Markus and the demon on his shoulder commanding him to chase "Icky Vicky's" tail.

And there Damon sat; stuck inside a stuffy, cigar-scented office with the last person he wanted to see just then. He had received a phone call in the early hours of the morning, ordering him to "get his ass down there" before Mickey sent guards to pull him out of his bed and drag him there.

Damon reluctantly agreed.

Mickey's russet hair was slicked back sleekly, his collared shirt buttoned up until the second, brown eyes directed towards the window with the view of the Hudson. His left ring finger with the pale ring mark immediately caught Damon's eye, suddenly understanding the dazed look his manager recently took on.

"Hey," He snapped his fingers, "You alright, Bae?"

Mickey blinked, lifting his chin up before spinning around, his palms pressed against his mahogany desk, "'Righty then, kiddo. Let's get crackin'."

Damon nodded, eying him inquiringly.

Mickey stood, walking towards a chart on an easel. He stared at the two lines; one blue, one red. He pointed towards the blue, "Now, kiddo, this line here is the heat of Serpenti before that little show Markus put us through."

Damon remembers having this conversation when the band had been at its all-time high, selling records like hotcakes. He had been proud of the success of the band he had built from the ground up. Now, due to his best friend's idiotic behavior, his dream, as well as his aunt's, may have just flew out the window, along with Mickey's sanity.

Mickey rubbed his temple, hanging his head. His pointed finger guided towards the red line, not daring to look up, "And these are the sales afterwards."

Damon swallowed, pupils following the line steepen downwards, plummeting further and further. He vomited the first words that popped into his mind, "Will a tour fix this-this mess?"

The chair let out a groan as Mickey plopped down, releasing a sigh from his suddenly pale lips. His hands combed through his slicked-back hair, "To be brutally honest, kid.. I have no fuckin' clue. It could go either way."

Both men sat in the silence for the short remainder of the hour before soundlessly parting ways.

* * *

_**3:21 AM, 2 Weeks and 6 Days Previously**_

_The ringing of the phone dragged her from the pitiful excuse of slumber Elena had fallen into. Her sleep patterns in the previous weeks had been a mess, unrelenting in its grasp of her sanity. _

_She frustratingly snapped the phone from the receiver and hissed, "What?"_

"_Look, lady. I don't exactly like being here until three in the fuckin' morning waitin' on this douchebag, but guess what? I am, so come pick him the fuck up at O'Shea's before I throw his drunk ass in the streets."_

_The line went dead._

* * *

_With a gradually growing belly slightly obscured by her black pajamas, Elena slipped out of the taxi, flashing a smile towards the driver after he agreed to wait for her after she quite nearly broke down crying for no particular reason -she blamed the hormones-. _

_She glanced up, seeing a rather buff man, arms crossed across his chest in impatience. She snickered just as he sneered. _

_Shuffling towards him, she jabbed a finger in his chest, "Next time you call a pregnant, hormonal woman, show her some respect." He glanced down, gaze softening before stepping aside._

"_He's at the bar on the left." _

_Following after him, she watched as the room grew darker before the man flipped the lights on, revealing a disheveled, dark-haired man with his head half-hanging off the counter._

"_Dammit, Damon." She made her way towards him, poking him in the arm. When he remained unresponsive she turned towards the man leaning against the wine rack, "How did you get my number?"_

_He straightened his back, pressing off the rack, "He wrote it down on a napkin in case this," he gestured towards Damon, "happened." She snickered, just like Damon to give a complete stranger a pregnant woman's number._

"_Can you help me get him into the taxi?"_

* * *

_His eyes groggily opened, oceans of blue becoming visible. He groaned, feeling the stinging headache before a sharp pain in his side. He winced, glancing down to find the source of the pain being a certain brunette poking him in the side._

_He frowned, "What are you doing here?"_

_She directed her gaze towards the window, "Do you even know where you are?"_

_The frown placed upon his angelic lips deepened before he took in his surroundings. The apartment seemed vaguely familiar, but most definitely was not his. He shrugged, "I dunno."_

_Her shoulders fell before she quickly stood up and walked into a back room down the hall, leaving him to gradually fall asleep, a definitive pounding in his temples._

_Gently he continuously whispered, "Twins..twins…twins…shit."_

* * *

"How have you been?"

She smiled, playing nervously with the straw dug into the ice, "I've been good." She avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes on the cup placed before her.

Anthony frowned, sensing her uneasiness. He reached out to lay his hand on top of hers, slightly uncomfortable with the newfound caring personality of his, "Care," He was momentarily stunned by the ice blue flashing up to him, "You can tell me."

Her face crumbled, falling into her hands before she started sobbing. Anthony straightened his back, unsure of what to do. The most comforting he had ever done had been just now. Man, was this woman changing him. He stood up before kneeling beside her, ignoring the stares of the other tables. He rubbed her back, waiting until her sobs subsided.

After her breathing calmed, she looked towards him, a stray tear falling down her cheek. He lightly brushed away the gentle stream, eyes presenting his bare soul. She searched his luscious, coffee eyes, suddenly feeling drawn to him.

Ever so slowly, the space between them continued to slice away. Closer…closer…closer until she could practically feel his breath on her lips.

The silence was cut by the ringing of a phone, which Caroline quickly reduced as being Anthony's. With a muttering of curses, he made his way back to his seat and answered the phone, never taking his eyes off of her.

"What-"

"Have you seen Markus? No one's seen him, Mickey's on the verge of a fucking meltdown, and to top it all off, Elena's practically ignoring me."

"Damon, calm the fuck down," He ran his thumb over his brow, thinking through every possible scenario before it suddenly clicked, "Last August after Anne left him, he locked himself inside his room; didn't come out until he nearly starved to death."

Damon sharply inhaled, "You don't think he would actually…" There was silence before he added, "I need you to drive over there and make sure he's not stone cold on the floor. I'm stuck at the bridge."

Anthony worded his agreement before ending the call. He sighed, tossing his phone into his pocket. Caroline wrung her hands, guessing the worst.

"What's wrong?" She timidly asked.

Anthony sighed once again, "We think Markus locked himself in his room. He most likely is starving himself." Caroline gasped, tears burning her eyes.

"I-I'll go. I'm the reason he's in there." Her bottom lip trembled.

* * *

Her heels clicked against the marble of the foyer of the grand apartment. The doorman had been gracious enough to let her in, having recognized her face. Her heart thumped in sync with her steps.

_Thump._**Click. ** _Thump._**Click. **_Thump._**Click.**

The entire apartment was a dungeon of darkness, swallowing her up into the abyss of gloom. She detected no sounds, instinct kicking in. Her hands felt the walls for any switches, and when she located a small panel near the door she flipped the switch.

The room flooded with light, revealing the remnants of what once used to be an elegant apartment. The entire living room was torn to shreds; furniture flipped and thrown, paintings askew and the television smashed and burnt. The drawers from the kitchen were thrown into the various hallways, as the refrigerator remained open.

Her hand flew to her mouth, shocked by the brutality of the scene. Her heart tore for the man led to such violence. Carefully, she maneuvered through the wreckage, following a trail of footprints left in puddles of ketchup, obvious marks of someone slipping and falling before continuing on by crawling or dragging themselves.

She flipped yet another switch in the hallway, seeing more wreckage in adjacent rooms. The only room she could find with a closed door was located at the far end of the hallway. Her chest rose and fell harshly before she mustered the courage to knock on the door. When she received no answer, she tried the doorknob, finding it locked. The anger surged through her.

The cheating. The neglect. The silence. All wrapped up into her fists as she viciously banged on the door, screaming, "Markus! Open the damn door!" repeatedly.

She quieted when she heard a distinct thump before the sound of someone dragging themselves toward the door. The beating in her chest grew louder, filling all of her senses.

All the breath was snatched away from her in the instant the door opened.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked it!**

**Pretty, pretty please review! I enjoy reading your guys' comments!**

**You can follow Emily on Twitter: EmilyStark14**


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